Where to stay downtown

I'm planning my first ever Vegas trip. I want to stay downtown instead of the strip because of the low minimums and better odds on table games. I'm looking for advice and opinions on places to stay. Also any info on first time promotions for new players club members downtown or on the strip would be greatly appreciated.

It depends on what you're looking for. Do you want to be in the middle of Fremont for less traveling around? Do you want the cheapest? Best games overall?

I don't know what new player promos are going on except the Downtown Grands $1000 loss rebate.

We stayed at MSS as that was the cheapest we found for 7 nights plus they have no resort fees. I also like the fact they have refrigerators in the rooms.

I was very happy with The D; extremely convenient to their own casino and everything else downtown (right on the main corner of Fremont under the canopy, with 4 Q's kitty-corner). Good security on the elevators, clean rooms, not a lot of outside noise, several inexpensive restaurants, good gaming, very good customer service from the bell desk/maids/front desk. If you want basics with a few frills and good clean amenities, you'll like them very much. If you want a pool, they have a small basic outdoor one, but I didn't visit there (at least they have one!) so can't say how good it is.

I'm mainly looking for a place with decent clean rooms that are reasonably priced. Pretty much everything downtown that I've checked is within my price range. Not concerned about price or location as much as I am a clean and safe place.

Quote: beachbumbabs

I was very happy with The D; extremely convenient to their own casino and everything else downtown (right on the main corner of Fremont under the canopy, with 4 Q's kitty-corner). Good security on the elevators, clean rooms, not a lot of outside noise, several inexpensive restaurants, good gaming, very good customer service from the bell desk/maids/front desk. If you want basics with a few frills and good clean amenities, you'll like them very much. If you want a pool, they have a small basic outdoor one, but I didn't visit there (at least they have one!) so can't say how good it is.

Thanks for your suggestion BBB. I have been leaning toward the plaza but I found a couple of reviews earlier today that have me considering the D as well. The main concern I have with the D is the noise. While it wouldn't bother me I'm afraid my wife would be put off by it. Was the music overly loud? Do they have a craps table away from where the noise is so loud?

Thanks so much for the replies!!

The D is loud all over.

My suggestion, particularly if you're going with the wife, is Golden Nugget. It's the closest thing Downtown has to a strip-style resort.

If you want quiet, DT Grand. It's like a library in there.

Quote: DJTeddyBear

The D is loud all over.

My suggestion, particularly if you're going with the wife, is Golden Nugget. It's the closest thing Downtown has to a strip-style resort.

If you want quiet, DT Grand. It's like a library in there.

Thanks for the suggestion. I appreciate it.

MSS seems to be a pretty good all around choice. We don't stay downtown every trip but when we do we stay at Main Street. Good parking, good food, great bar.

Quote: Ibeatyouraces

It depends on what you're looking for. Do you want to be in the middle of Fremont for less traveling around? Do you want the cheapest? Best games overall?

I don't know what new player promos are going on except the Downtown Grands $1000 loss rebate.

We stayed at MSS as that was the cheapest we found for 7 nights plus they have no resort fees. I also like the fact they have refrigerators in the rooms.

Refrigerator in the room: My igloo with ice in it.

And I've brought my own vodka and orange juice to Vegas before. Nothing like 5 oz of vodka in my own big cup with ice and OJ.

No 1-oz alcohol drinks where you have to wait 20 minutes for the first one and 20 minute intervals between drinks. 5 casino drinks is five dollars in tips. I can make the same drink with 5 ounces of vodka for a buck and a half.
(AP drinking!)

Of course I'm drinking less now. Totally gave up the sauce for 5 1/2 months back in August of last year. Then I commenced again but at a much lower quantity than I had been used to before. Can you say one 10th as much? My goal was never to quit drinking. My goal was to not to have to quit drinking.

So when I went to Vegas back in January of this year I thought of having a drink on my first night at the DG but I just wasn't in the mood. But the next night I was going with my friend to the buffet at Silver 7s and I asked, "Can I just play some blackjack for half an hour and have a few drinks before dinner? (I asked in case he was really hungry.) He said sure. And that's exactly what I did and it was fun. The drinks were served in these little glasses that are the kind you normally get at like Denny's if you get a small tomato juice or orange juice--pretty damn small. So I had three Long Island iced teas. Could've easily had a few more but I didn't. Good boy. Good boy since too.

I'm going to jump on the MSS bandwagon. It's a good place to stay.

Rooms are good, no resort fees. Triple 777 good place to eat. Far enough from Fremont Street to escape the noise, but still close to the action.

Excellent VP, including 9/6 JoB at Boar's Head Bar + scratch-offs. Bartenders Jose and Kelly are great people. Delicious craft beers on tap, too.

Enjoy your trip, man.

The Downtown Grand is a classy and relaxing environment with a decent mix of gaming. Plenty of surrounding restaurants and centrally located.The extra block(750 feet) off Fremont makes all the difference.

The Plaza is kind of rundown. The D is decent but definitely noisy. The Golden Nugget is nice but I don't see the value. From my understanding the rest are pretty dated and if I had to base it off the casino appearance it would match my perceptions. The Golden Gate supposedly has some boutique qualities, but how one would get past the noise is beyond me.

I'm on the Main Street Station train. Can't be beat for value, friendliness, cleanliness and comps.

Quote: MaxPen

The Downtown Grand is a classy and relaxing environment with a decent mix of gaming. Plenty of surrounding restaurants and centrally located.The extra block(750 feet) off Fremont makes all the difference.

The Plaza is kind of rundown. The D is decent but definitely noisy. The Golden Nugget is nice but I don't see the value. From my understanding the rest are pretty dated and if I had to base it off the casino appearance it would match my perceptions. The Golden Gate supposedly has some boutique qualities, but how one would get past the noise is beyond me.

I don't know how you could say the Plaza is run down. They completely refurbished the gaming area and I believe all of their rooms. Yes, same basic layout and it might look dated, but rundown? That was fast.

After checking prices from MSS I think I'm on that band wagon as well!! No resort fees go a long way to me. It's not the cost as much as the principle. I'd stay somewhere that cost more just to avoid them.

I already have a Boyd's card although my play with them has been severely limited. I'm certainly glad I asked and opened this up for discussion.

If you want to stay in a nice hotel extremely close to the action, consider The Fremont. I really like the rooms there. They are small, clean and comfortable. The elevator goes right down to the casino about 50 feet from Fremont Street.

Quote: teddys

If you want to stay in a nice hotel extremely close to the action, consider The Fremont. I really like the rooms there. They are small, clean and comfortable. The elevator goes right down to the casino about 50 feet from Fremont Street.

Our stay came down to either here, MSS or the Plaza. We picked MSS as it was the cheapest over all. And again, the fridge was the kicker.

Quote: Ibeatyouraces

Quote: teddys

If you want to stay in a nice hotel extremely close to the action, consider The Fremont. I really like the rooms there. They are small, clean and comfortable. The elevator goes right down to the casino about 50 feet from Fremont Street.

Our stay came down to either here, MSS or the Plaza. We picked MSS as it was the cheapest over all. And again, the fridge was the kicker.

Just FYI... not every room has a fridge, so you need to ask for it, if that's important to you.

Downtown Grand has really nice rooms in good condition.As a non smoker I also like the Cabana Suites .You check in at the El Cortez but after that you don't have to set foot in there.I stayed at MainStreetStation on a deal that included the breakfast buffet. I hardly slept with all the freight trains.D has ridiculous loud gangsta rap music playing plus a high resort fee given that it has zero amenities.So:
1) Downtown Grand
2) Cabana Suites
3) GN

Quote: stephen.hall

1) Downtown Grand
2) Cabana Suites
3) GN

Welcome to the Forums !

Thanks again for all the comments. Seems like MSS is the favorite so far among the posters. I didn't even have it in the running when I started this poll. Thanks again guys. Valuable information.

Quote: rsactuary

Quote: Ibeatyouraces

Quote: teddys

If you want to stay in a nice hotel extremely close to the action, consider The Fremont. I really like the rooms there. They are small, clean and comfortable. The elevator goes right down to the casino about 50 feet from Fremont Street.

Our stay came down to either here, MSS or the Plaza. We picked MSS as it was the cheapest over all. And again, the fridge was the kicker.

Just FYI... not every room has a fridge, so you need to ask for it, if that's important to you.

We didn't ask.

Right.... so you randomly got assigned a room with a fridge. I'm just saying if you absolutely have to have a fridge.. you should ask for one because not all rooms have one.

Quote: rsactuary

Right.... so you randomly got assigned a room with a fridge. I'm just saying if you absolutely have to have a fridge.. you should ask for one because not all rooms have one.

Never hurts to ask, for anything. I've stayed there three times. All three we got the fridge and never asked for it. Maybe they're just on the non smoking floors, I dunno.

One more thing about MSS. We were able to check in at about 8:30 am even though normal check in is at 3 or 4pm, can't remember which. And there was no extra cost or anything, just asked.

I certainly want a non smoking room. That's about my only requirement. Is MSS overly smokey?

Quote: Mikey75

I certainly want a non smoking room. That's about my only requirement. Is MSS overly smokey?

None that I saw at all. In fact, it was very quiet there. Non smoking is on the higher floors. We got 15th.

Hers a view from the 15th floor balcony on the east end of the hallway.

Quote: Ibeatyouraces

None that I saw at all. In fact, it was very quiet there. Non smoking is on the higher floors. We got 15th.

Hers a view from the 15th floor balcony on the east end of the hallway.

Thanks Aces. I really appreciate the advice. I'm fairly sure MMS is going to be my choice.

I do not find MSS smoky at all... I've even ended up with a smoking room because non-smoking was gone by the time I got there... and it wasn't THAT bad. (yes, you could still smell it, but it wasn't overwhelming).

No question about it....stay at the Golden Nugget. Nooooooo question. It's like staying on the strip but it's downtown. Everything about the GN is better than the other properties on Fremont. I like the other properties too, don't get me wrong....but there's no comparison.

Quote: JoeZ

No question about it....stay at the Golden Nugget. Nooooooo question. It's like staying on the strip but it's downtown. Everything about the GN is better than the other properties on Fremont. I like the other properties too, don't get me wrong....but there's no comparison.

Disagree. the gambling is horrible. Have you compared VP paytables to any other property downtown????

Quote: rsactuary

Disagree. the gambling is horrible. Have you compared VP paytables to any other property downtown????

And way more expensive. The rooms are nice, even though we had a crappy view out of the window.

I'm not really concerned with finding the fanciest place. If I was I would stay on the strip. Price is a factor because the money I save on a room will go directly into the money I have to gamble with. My low rolling self needs as much gambling $$ as I can get lol.

You can always go to each casinos website and use the room fee calculator.

The lowest rates I can find anywhere are at MSS. Their rate per night is cheaper than some resort fees at other places.

I have been to Vegas many times and always stay downtown. I stayed at the El Cortez last time I was there for one night and wished I had stayed there longer. The Cabana suites are the way to go, much nicer and not too much more per night than the standard room.

The Plaza is also good if you get a good deal. They have large rooms which are unheard of nowadays for such a low cost.

I have stayed at the Golden Nugget and must say I am disappointed with the price. The rooms are okay, but are much too expensive for what you get. Plus, you can't get comps there to save your life. The limits are usually higher than average for downtown.

Thanks for all the replies. I really appreciate it. Now I've got to start tracking down the best card offers for first time players. I will have a car so I will be able to travel around town if I find something that is worth it.

Quote: BlackjackKing

The Cabana suites are the way to go, much nicer and not too much more per night than the standard room.

I stayed there for a month a decade ago before it was the Cabana Suites. It was Ogden House back then, a pretty low rate boarding house type hotel. It wasn't so nice back then....lol. (but it was cheap)

Quote: kewlj

I stayed there for a month a decade ago before it was the Cabana Suites. It was Ogden House back then, a pretty low rate boarding house type hotel. It wasn't so nice back then....lol. (but it was cheap)

That's interesting. The current Ogden House is a much larger building that I believe is currently condos or apartments that is across the street and down a block or two. There must be a story there.

I've gotten a comped room at the El Cortez twice but never in the cabana suites because I went there with a friend and we needed two beds and the cabana suites only come with one.

(On my second trip to the El Cortez they didn't have a non-smoking room as we requested so they get gave us one of the Jacuzzi Suites.)

Quote: Greasyjohn

That's interesting. The current Ogden House is a much larger building that I believe is currently condos or apartments that is across the street and down a block or two. There must be a story there.

I think that highrise is just The Ogden, not Ogden House.

Quote: kewlj

I think that highrise is just The Ogden, not Ogden House.

Well, that explains that KJ

Quote: Greasyjohn

Well, that explains that KJ

Greasyjohn, you are supposed to be writing me a story.
Did you forget?
BTW, I have deleted all my silliness in yesterday's discussion 'bout the suspension list.
The rest is up to you, unless you want it to stay there of course ;-)

Duplicate post...
Hey, it's the system not me!

I was avoiding this thread, but I gave in. I'll say
what I always say. The 4 Queens is the best DT
casino to stay at. For these reasons.

It's convenient. The south tower elevator lets
you out in the casino AND 40 feet from Fremont
St. Forget something in the room? Want a
shower or a nap? You get the picture. Valet
drop off is 40 feet from the casino. Want your
car the next day? That's about 50 feet from the
casino.

The restaurants are fine. There are 4 other casinos
that are just a few steps away once you're on
Fremont St. The rooms are clean and adequate
and at a bargain price.

What do you want in Vegas, to walk your ass off,
or to spend most of your time playing and not
screwing around with fancy rooms that you spend
no time in. If that's your thing, stay on the Strip.

4 Queens and Fremont really hit the sweet spot in many ways, including NO resort fee. MSS is also great if you don't mind that 10 minute walk.

Quote: bobsims

4 Queens and Fremont really hit the sweet spot in many ways, including NO resort fee. MSS is also great if you don't mind that 10 minute walk.

Why is everybody always in a hurry? And it should only be about 5 with short cuts.

BTW, 4 Queens was our second choice but was more expensive.

Quote: Ibeatyouraces

Why is everybody always in a hurry? And it should only be about 5 with short cuts.

BTW, 4 Queens was our second choice but was more expensive.

Even with short cuts, its about 10 min
If I am at MSS, I take the bridge to the California , go down stairs to the front, cross the street entering Binions, walk through Binions to get to Freemont.

I like 4 Queens but the D is just next door.
The D has better bedding, a thick cover to sleep under instead of the thin bed cover the 4Q provides.
The 4Q room temp controls don't work so well, its kind of a centralized system with just a nob to turn.
You turn the nob and wonder if it works.
Prefer the individual room temp control systems with a AC/heat unit just under the window.

You must walk slow then.

Don't get me wrong though. Had 4Q's been cheaper, we would've stayed there.

For the dates I'm looking at 4Q and MSS both have the same price. While 4Q may be closer to the action I'm a little concerned about Fremont Street noise. I think I would rather walk 10 mins than take a chance on the noise level being high. I haven't totally made up my mind yet but I think MSS is still at the front of the list.

Quote: Mikey75

For the dates I'm looking at 4Q and MSS both have the same price. While 4Q may be closer to the action I'm a little concerned about Fremont Street noise. .

Request a room in the tower closest to
the front desk. The elevator empties
out right into the casino. I stay in the
tower where the elevator is near Fremont.
I never go to bed before 2am and the
noise is gone by then, if there was any.
I wear noise suppressing gear anyway.

Okay, here's the thing about the hotels on Fremont & the noise. It is easy to avoid if you know how & what you want to ask for, but most visitors don't know. It comes from some hugemongous industrial strength speakers in the top of the canopy they built over that part of Fremont when they made it into a pedestrian mall "Experience" with a light show and all that. Rooms that face that canopy and are closest to it in elevation (but not necessarily in map distance) get blasted with the noise, but those that don't and aren't are not affected by it. I don't know how many times I've slept in those hotels, but it is an awful lot, and once I learned this I have never been the least bit affected by the "music" from those speakers or even noticed it now that I know what rooms to ask for.

So, here's what you want, which applies to any of those hotels: A room that faces away from Fremont, preferably on an upper floor, though that second part is not so important. Specifically for Four Queens, this means a room on the SOUTH side of either tower. They have two towers, north and south, but which tower doesn't matter for this purpose; what matters is a room on the south SIDE of either one of the towers. I happen to prefer the north tower (south facing room) but that's just personal preference as a matter of individual taste. In my experience this request has always been very easily accommodated at check-in, because most visitors don't know the situation enough to know they'd want that, and don't even know that after they find they are bothered by the racket from the "Experience" if they bed down early. Some of them even think that looking out over Fremont would be a good thing, but it isn't, since all they'll get from that for a view is the rump side of that canopy which isn't the side designed for 'ooohing' & 'ahhhing.' (I also find that light show gets old real quick, but I'm not really a visitor and not into the beverages & other substances that the people who enjoy staring at it seem to be on.)

So, repeat after me: "I'd like a room that faces south, that's on the Strip side of the tower instead of the Fremont side, please." Now you're good to go.

I like Four Queens. I also like Main Street Station. Never had a bad experience with the hotel operations at either, was always reasonably well pleased using either as my crash pad. And neither hoses you with a sleazy "resort fee." Rooms & furnishings at Main St. Stn. are newer, and on average, market rates for MSS usually run a little higher. I think the walk to the other joints from there is trivial, amounting to no more than crossing the gaming floor of some of the biggest Strip properties (though some who are very suburban or rural could possibly be put off by a few non-vacationing characters they might pass on the way). But I find 4Qs feels more cozy/comfortable for me, for some reason I can't put my finger on. MSS is part of the national Boyd casino chain for player card points & comps & rating of play, while 4Qs is independent with no locations other than Downtown Las Vegas, in case that matters to you.

Enjoy, whichever.