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Cheapo Sleep
If you're hoping the rooms look like the nice-looking casino, keep dreaming. Rooms are now being renovated, and should be done by the end of '09. They are starting on the lower floors and adding new furniture (well, Hard Rock leftovers is what we heard), new paint, carpets and better bathrooms. So, if you want to gamble you get a new room, ask for a low floor. If you don't get a renovated one, rooms are average-sized, somewhat dark and pretty dingy. Usually things work okay, though (except drains that always drain slowly in the many rooms we've had). For now, fair beds, intermittent hot water, and not everything is filthy (not exactly spotless either, though). The suites, while not fancy, are cheap. On the top floor, two-bed suites are two rooms with two TVs, a larger bathroom, and a big balcony looking out over downtown. The queen bed suites are one large room with big balconies. Suites have refrigerators in them. Gold Spike owns the old motel next door and is renovating it as well, but those rooms won't be available until the renovation is complete.
Most of the rooms are "suites" but don't get your hopes up for something dazzling. This place was originally going to be a long-term stay hotel, so the rooms are larger and have separate living rooms and bedrooms, but they're not fancy and actually a little cramped. The bedroom barely holds a king bed. The bathrooms are tiny. Furniture is minimal -- there are two TVs in the "suites" -- one in each room. It's like staying in a very large Super 8 room, meaning they are clean, and a notch above an average Motel 6. The rooms are in a series of buildings, none of which is directly attached to the casino, so be prepared to walk. Views are pretty bad in almost every room, so don't hope for a spectacular Strip panorama.
The tower rooms are spacious, clean and comfortable, but the bathrooms are a bit cramped. Actually, these are some nice rooms. They are as nice as almost any downtown, except the bathrooms. And if you want a really cheap room, snag a "vintage" room, they are single queens above the casino, or a Pavilion room which have outdoor entrances and are above the parking garage, but offer more space than Vintages, are fresh and can have two queens. The elegant Vintage suites are perhaps the best deal in town with a giant room with a sofa and sitting area for mere peanuts. The hotel is a few hundred feet outside of the Fremont Street Experience in a safe, quickly gentrifying area. If a regular room at the El Co isn't nice enough for you, you can try the South Beach-flavored Cabaņa Suites in a separate building across the street. They have way more style than substance, but nice bathrooms and iPod docks. They are intended for a younger, hipper audience. And they better be hip, because if they aren't, the lime green, black and white color theme is just plain ugly. Like it's trying too hard.
Fair to poor rooms with few amenities. The rooms in the north tower are bigger and slightly nicer, but are still pretty basic and considerably worn down. The beds are beat to the point of sadness. The south tower rooms are okay but often more threadbare and have some seriously outdated furniture. In either tower, the king bed rooms have a sitting area with a sofa. There is a vanity desk in the room and the bathrooms are fair-sized. The two-bed rooms have two queens. The Club charges more per night for the "Deluxe" rooms and for North Tower, but nothing here is either deluxe or worth paying much extra for. If your main concern is just a place to rest your head and you don't mind the occasional clogged drain, wheezing AC or stained carpet, welcome to the (Las) Vegas Club.
The rooms are old and range from decent to downright dingy. All are a little bit shabby. Because of the funny shape of the main tower, some rooms are huge, with two queen beds and a couch, table and desk. Others resemble a typical Days Inn. The bathrooms tend to be very, very small, so if stretching out in the john is high on your list of requirements, steer clear. The decor is sort of flowery and a bit old but at least it's not bright or obnoxious.
Rooms are spacious at about 510 s.f., and the suites are even bigger and nicer. Of course, you've got to be a freakin' Rockefeller to get a suite. Tasteful furnishings, marble floors in the john, electric drapes, and all kinds of stuff the rich are used to but we still gawk at. The bathrooms have showers separate from the tubs, so you can sit in the tub and watch someone shower like rich people love to do. They are smaller but swankier than the Venetian, and smaller and not as swanky as Wynn or THEHotel rooms at Mandalay Bay. If you join the slot club and put in your hours, they might send you some discounted room offers for slow times of year. Oh, we should not forget to mention the overpriced host fridge and three phones in every room, the robes, irons, flat-screen TVs, ginormous armoires and safes. We'll talk about the Resort Room because it's the basic one and the only one they would ever let us near. These are about the same size as Rio and Venetian at 640 s.f. They are done in muted, dark colors like chocolate and other golden browns. Windows are floor to ceiling, which is fantastic for those of us who like for our feet to see. Beds are plenty comfortable, as are the sofa and table. The bathroom is on par with the other fancy places in town. Big soaking tub and separate shower, two sinks, private toilet (which our roommates always appreciate). Flat screen TVs in the living room and bathroom for those who can't get enough CNBC. Really damn swanky towels. Oh, there is Internet access, but guess what? It costs extra. What a scam. Oh, the electric drapes are a nice touch. We always get so worn out opening and closing drapes. The rooms have some odd-looking 80s touches in the furniture legs and other accoutrements, and the overall feel is pretty ostentatious. For the man or woman with spare cash to throw around, upgrade to the tower Suites where you get a private entrance and even fancier service. Who knows? Maybe some guy in a tux comes up and sings you to sleep.
It depends on where you go. The Augustus Tower is the newest and fanciest of the range of rooms. They have flat screen TVs all over. They are large and a bit rough on the eye because of the loud and garish decor. The Palace Tower are pretty much as nice. Both towers' rooms are large, with fancy tubs and separate showers. But, they cost more. The rooms have more marble than the Italians, great floor-to-ceiling windows, massive beds, first-class sitting areas and large TVs, and much more. Ask for the Augustus Tower and see if you get it, usually it's a pricey premium over the regular rooms. The cheapest rooms, in the Forum Tower, are average at 350 s.f. and up, nicely appointed with iPod docking and fancy showers, but nothing to brag about. Some used to have round beds and whirlpool tubs right in the middle of the room. They're not still that cheesy, sadly.
These are far and away the nicest rooms downtown. The rooms are average-sized and first-class, with lots of marble, beautiful carpets, nice bedspreads and elegant accoutrements like flat-screened TVs and robes. They also have irons and hairdryers. Good thing, because when they only have an iron, you know how we dry our hair. More than most properties, this one actually achieves understated classiness. The views are okay, but mostly look over North Las Vegas, the mountains, or the faraway Strip. The North Tower is the nicer one, with better furnishings and slightly bigger rooms. Of course, they try to get you to pay more for it. The North leads directly into the casino. The South Tower is plenty nice, but a longer walk from the casino and the rooms are smaller. It is right across the street from the parking garage, though. If you want to roll large, get a Gold Club room in the North Tower. They are larger, have even nicer amenities, like big sectional sofas, and special services like VIP check-in and turn-down at night.
The smallest rooms in the joint are 720 s.f. and they are laid out a lot like the Venetian suites. That's generally a good thing. The sleeping area has a king or two queens and a flat screen. Move down to the sunken sitting area nearer the window where a sectional sofa, table and desk are all yours for lounging. Another flatscreen is for watching. The bathroom has more marble than most Italian quarries. Dual sinks, a big tub and separate shower are for those of us who are into that whole bathing fad. There's another, smaller TV in here will keep you up to date, even as you shave or put on makeup. The decor is slightly more modern than the Venetian, but nothing else suggests that this place is better or targeted for a different crowd.
The tower rooms are spacious, clean and comfortable, but the bathrooms are a bit cramped. Actually, these are some nice rooms. They are as nice as almost any downtown, except the bathrooms. And if you want a really cheap room, snag a "vintage" room, they are single queens above the casino, or a Pavilion room which have outdoor entrances and are above the parking garage, but offer more space than Vintages, are fresh and can have two queens. The elegant Vintage suites are perhaps the best deal in town with a giant room with a sofa and sitting area for mere peanuts. The hotel is a few hundred feet outside of the Fremont Street Experience in a safe, quickly gentrifying area. If a regular room at the El Co isn't nice enough for you, you can try the South Beach-flavored Cabaņa Suites in a separate building across the street. They have way more style than substance, but nice bathrooms and iPod docks. They are intended for a younger, hipper audience. And they better be hip, because if they aren't, the lime green, black and white color theme is just plain ugly. Like it's trying too hard.
These are far and away the nicest rooms downtown. The rooms are average-sized and first-class, with lots of marble, beautiful carpets, nice bedspreads and elegant accoutrements like flat-screened TVs and robes. They also have irons and hairdryers. Good thing, because when they only have an iron, you know how we dry our hair. More than most properties, this one actually achieves understated classiness. The views are okay, but mostly look over North Las Vegas, the mountains, or the faraway Strip. The North Tower is the nicer one, with better furnishings and slightly bigger rooms. Of course, they try to get you to pay more for it. The North leads directly into the casino. The South Tower is plenty nice, but a longer walk from the casino and the rooms are smaller. It is right across the street from the parking garage, though. If you want to roll large, get a Gold Club room in the North Tower. They are larger, have even nicer amenities, like big sectional sofas, and special services like VIP check-in and turn-down at night.
This is pretty standard stuff. They aren't trying to dazzle you with sunken living rooms like those high-falutin' folks on the Strip do. Instead, we're talking average-sized, clean rooms. The quality level is better than a Holiday Inn, with a small dash of mountain lodge trimmings. The suites are lodge crazy with dead animal heads on the wall and stuff like that. King rooms have a loveseat, lots of brown. Rooms have safes and mini-bars with ridiculously overpriced snacks to tempt you at all hours. Bathrooms are unremarkable and a bit small, with a tub/shower, sink and toilet all just off the room entrance. This hotel is not really themed "Old West" but more like "lodge," with the emphasis on lite rock from the 70s and 80s. Stick around long enough and you're sure to hear "Sailing" by Christopher Cross. The rooms offer high-speed Internet access for a fee.
Very good for the price. Every room is bigger than average, has a king or two queen beds and a nice-sized sitting area. We don't mean a crummy little table and dining chairs, we mean comfy loungers, a sofa to call your own. The bathrooms are decent, but not fancy. There is enough space to spread out, or lie against the cool floor when you think you're going to puke. The toilet and tub/shower are in an enclosed room while the sink and hanger rack are in a little space with a sliding door. A really neat touch is the little window in the tub/shower that opens to the outside world, so you can yell at people in the parking lot while you bathe. We usually yell, "Come on up, the water's fine!" Rooms have hairdryers and coffeemakers (with only a little free coffee). TVs are flat panel, for after you lose all your money and want to watch Judge Judy.
Smallish, clean rooms with nice furnishings and a fairly modern look that includes a flat-screen TVs. The furniture is basic, a small table with a couple chairs and a dresser. The window is small because the bathroom is up against the outside wall. The bathrooms are decent with a tiny room for the toilet and tub. Premium rooms have sliding doors on the bathroom that make them more comfortable, and better furnishings that are dark woods and new mattresses (they are worth the upgrade). The cool part is that the tub has a little window that opens to the outside world so you can keep your eye on your car while scrubbing. Being off the Strip, a lot of the Gold Coast's rooms don't have spectacular views, but then who needs a nice view when one just plans to pass out drunk on the floor? The walk from the elevator to your room can be incredibly long. Hairdryers, irons and coffeemakers are standard.
Ooweee! We have the finest pool in Vegas. They generate waves on the sand beach pool that are big enough to surf. And there are waterfalls and other tropical delights, all shrouded by hundreds of palm trees and overhead misters. There is a large VIP section with a three-story tower adjoining the pool. And ladies and gentlemen, if you like seeing beautiful people in skimpy outfits, this is Xanadu and Shangri La rolled into one. Only one pool stays open in the winter. There is a topless sunbathing area on top of the tower where the ladies can let it all hang out and the guys can pretend not to stare. It is secluded and costs extra (lots more extra for guys), though, so we'll just keep working on our X-ray vision.
Super-duper. It's among the best pool area in Las Vegas, and if not, it's close. It's a decadent, sprawling tropical complex with gorgeous landscaping, winding pools, lots of little water slides. The pools are open year-round, but only one is heated. In the summer, they have live gaming poolside. We don't mean slots. You could electrocute yourself. We mean blackjack.
Top notch. A great place for picking up chicks or guys, which is what this place is all about. It looks like it came right out of MTV Spring Break. There are sand beaches along a meandering stream-like pool, and plenty of places to ogle the opposite sex. There is a bar area with swim-up blackjack. Just bring lots of sunblock in case you get on a roll with the opposite sex. We have body-image issues, so we'll be the guys in the T-shirts down to our knees.
Six pools with whirlpools near each, and no kiddies around to splash you in the face. It's heaven for a lot of people. Some of the pools have fountains squirting out of them, for visual excitement. The very chi-chi can rent an overpriced poolside cabana and wile away the days in comfort and style. One note, don't mix up the big old fountain out front for the pool. Security doesn't think it's cute at all. The pools are heated and open year-round.
One of the nicer pool areas in town, although meant more for hanging out than swimming. The main pool is a long pool with nice tile and a bridge overhead. It opens into a large, oval shaped pool. The cabanas are really expensive to rent, and have flat screen TVs. If Wynn is all it's cracked up to be, there should be plenty to see right by the pool, and you won't need to watch Jerry Springer while there. "European" bathing is available for woman who like to tan their European mammaries.
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