1. Welcome to VegasMessageBoard
    It appears you are visiting our community as a guest.
    In order to view full-size images, participate in discussions, vote in polls, etc, you will need to Log in or Register.

The Downtown Property that has it all....

Discussion in 'Downtown Hotels' started by Electroguy563, Apr 18, 2015.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. Electroguy563

    Electroguy563 Vegas Joker

    Joined:
    Apr 26, 2011
    Messages:
    8,197
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    21
    If for some reason you had to stay at a Downtown Property that has it all in terms of room accomodations, dining options, and gambling, which would it be?

    I would like to choose MSS (one of my favorites) but their dining options are limited to the Buffet and 777.

    So I chose the Cal.

    What about you?
     
  2. gambler

    gambler VIP Whale

    Joined:
    Feb 7, 2012
    Messages:
    2,048
    Location:
    Canada
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    40
    I think I'd choose 4 Queens.

    It's location can't be beat at the center of Fremont Street.

    It has good dining choices. Magnolia's for breakfast, lunch or dinner, Chicago Brew Club for lunch and dinner, Hugo's Cellar for fine dining, Subway and Noble Roman's pizza for a light lunch, dinner or late night snack and Dryer's ice cream for the sweet tooth. It's a very short walk to The D and McDonald's for morning coffee, American Coney Island and other restaurants, steps from Fremont Casino for Dunkin Donuts, a decent buffet and other food options.

    It's close to Walgreen's for room supplies.

    4 Queens has decent video poker options although it's lacking for blackjack rules but The D is close by for that. It's central location puts it steps away to the Golden Nugget, Binion's, The D and Fremont casino.

    Edit to add: It's player's club is really decent for comp dollars and cash back if you like to gamble. We haven't paid for a meal in years.

    Best of all, it has no resort fee.
     
  3. ruralhipster

    ruralhipster High-Roller

    Joined:
    Aug 5, 2008
    Messages:
    502
    Location:
    Alberta Canada
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    20
    Part of the joy of the downtown properties is they don't need to have it all due to the proximity of the other options.

    That said I would say IF you are just looking at room food and casino I would go with the Downtown Grand and trade off poor VP at the bar for nice rooms and better variety of food.

    Back when El Cortez had the cafe and Flames options for food that would have been my choice with a Cabana Suite.
     
  4. woodsie

    woodsie VIP Whale

    Joined:
    Jan 19, 2012
    Messages:
    1,805
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    18
    I'd vote Downtown Grand. You can walk anywhere to eat and gamble but you are sorta married to your home base as far as pool options go. Downtown Grand's pool are tops even the Nugget imho.
     
  5. Viva Las Vegas

    Viva Las Vegas Elvis has left the building

    Joined:
    May 31, 2008
    Messages:
    3,505
    Location:
    None
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    0
    The Cal is also my go to property. Favorite downtown restaurants (Redwood for dinner, Market Street Cafe for the lunch and salad bar),9/6 JOB and good $.25, $.50 and $1 progressives, friendly staff and guests, and our favorite bartenders.

    I like 4 Queens for many of the reasons gambler stated, though I prefer the rooms at The California.
     
  6. ajp

    ajp High-Roller

    Joined:
    Apr 6, 2013
    Messages:
    638
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    5
    I love Golden Gate, the suites are awesome, they have DuPars, and I really enjoy craps and blackjack in the high limit area there.
     
  7. MrBBonz

    MrBBonz Low-Roller

    Joined:
    Jan 4, 2015
    Messages:
    294
    Location:
    Lexington KY
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    14
    Other members have mentioned it, but the good thing about downtown is that they are within a comfortable walking distance from each other. I don't think any property downtown is going to compete with every aspect of a strip property, but you can get the best of each place downtown and then move to the next place. It almost hard to compare the two, since they are both great in different ways. The rooms downtown are just as fine as the strip, so long as you don't want a villa or anything. Dining wise, you have several great steakhouses scattered around downtown, plenty of casual places, and even a ton of cheap eats. But you will probably have to eat at a few different places to get it all. Gambling is a bit better/cheaper downtown and to me they are all pretty similar when you get to playing.

    Sorry that I cant exactly list a single property downtown that is superb in everything, but most have things they do well.
     
  8. northerngirl

    northerngirl High-Roller

    Joined:
    Jul 3, 2007
    Messages:
    813
    Location:
    Northern Minnesota
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    40
    Being a downtown lover for the past 20 plus years, my group stays exclusively at The Cal. The rooms are more than adequate for our needs, in room safe, easy access to the casino, our "private" pool, and friendly dealers and pit that always remember us by name and are even happy to see us.

    Between the variety of dining options between MSS and the CAL, if we chose...we would never have to go outside.

    We really like the location slightly off Fremont Street.....because of the location, we rarely have trouble finding a blackjack table for the group. On the rare occasion that we do, a quick jaunt across the skywalk to MSS to more Boyd friendly staff.

    I would consider us mid level gamblers and the Boyd properties treat us well with comps.
     
  9. LolaDoggie

    LolaDoggie VIP Whale

    Joined:
    Jul 6, 2009
    Messages:
    4,299
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    6
    I can't comment on the gambling. But, I think Golden Nugget is the one to beat downtown.
     
  10. marksind

    marksind VIP Whale

    Joined:
    Jun 1, 2012
    Messages:
    1,487
    Location:
    Seattle
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    75
    I'll go with those who say downtown has it all. That's the great thing. No single property has to. It's no big deal to hit them all.
     
  11. Auggie

    Auggie Dovahkiin

    Joined:
    Jan 8, 2009
    Messages:
    5,820
    Location:
    Burnaby, BC
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    17
    I would probably stay at Golden Nugget because it has nice rooms.

    For "having everything" I don't think any one Downtown property has it all, but one reason I like staying Downtown is the smallness and closeness: if I was something thats not offered at the place I am at then there is somewhere else that is very close that probably does.
     
  12. Mr.Paul

    Mr.Paul Tourist

    Joined:
    Mar 25, 2015
    Messages:
    14
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    4
    I will be in vegas next month for my 5th time, first time staying downtown. What you stated above was so crucial to the entire decision. You are literally a five minute walk to dozens of food/bar options as opposed to the strip where even getting to the casino next door can be a fifteen minute affair. I remember the one time I stayed at the trop and I always ended up walking to that food court next to the m&m store for lunch, such a pain in the ass.
     
  13. vegasvic

    vegasvic VIP Whale

    Joined:
    Mar 13, 2013
    Messages:
    3,473
    Location:
    Wisconsin
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    45
    This. You are minute(s) away from dining/gambling at any of the downtown joints. I wouldn't factor that in. The room and pool (if that interests you) are all that really matter. You can gamble and eat anywhere so easily downtown. Based on that I'd take the Nugget.
     
  14. LoveDowntownVegas

    LoveDowntownVegas High-Roller

    Joined:
    Jul 14, 2014
    Messages:
    673
    Location:
    TX
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    58
    Interesting thread. I have never gambled or eaten at the Cal. I will need to check it out.
    when I opened this I assumed everyone would be saying "GN" which I cant stand. good to see the variety here.

    as others have mentioned - downtown is kind of like one big resort due to proximity of attractions. If I had to have a pool, I'd probably choose DTG. However, my home bases are the D and GG when I don't need a pool.
    even when I do need a pool, I usually double book at the D or GG in conjunction with DTG.
     
  15. Clarkson7

    Clarkson7 Tourist

    Joined:
    Mar 11, 2009
    Messages:
    89
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    23
    I make my own choices and if I don't want to stay in any particular place, I would not do so. Since you don't appear to "want" to stay Downtown, "If for some reason you HAD to stay at a Downtown........

    From my experiences, if I am forced/ "HAD" to stay anywhere, I will not like it. I suggest that you stay wherever you have been staying and don't stay anywhere that you apparently know you won't like.
     
  16. Auggie

    Auggie Dovahkiin

    Joined:
    Jan 8, 2009
    Messages:
    5,820
    Location:
    Burnaby, BC
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    17
    I didn't read it like "If you HAD to stay Downtown..." but more as one of those "If you were staying Downtown and HAD to limit yourself to only one property for everything (IE: you spent 24hrs a day of your entire vacation at one property and didn't go to even a single other property your entire stay)"
     
  17. sconnie

    sconnie Downtown Kinda Guy

    Joined:
    Dec 30, 2012
    Messages:
    248
    Location:
    Racine, WI
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    30
    My wife and I prefer DT to anywhere else, and we have two "seasons" which impacts our property choice. If its pool season, we stay at the Nugget. Great pool, good dining on site. We don't gamble there though. If its not "pool season" then we stay at MSS or The Cal. We do 90% of our gambling at Boyd properties and they say thanks by putting us up for free or close to it. The Cal does have a "cement pond" but its just a square hole with water in it.

    As others have said, its hard to consider any single property DT to have it all, but between two or three, you can have a great time and let's face it, GN to MSS is about the same size area as many of the larger strip properties.

    JW


     
  18. makikiboy

    makikiboy VIP Whale

    Joined:
    Oct 5, 2007
    Messages:
    6,752
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    35
    I don't think you will go wrong with just about any downtown hotel casino. I am partial to the Cal/MSS because they cater to the Hawaiian crowd. I like the Cal over MSS because I like the rooms in the west tower (bigger bathroom IMHO). The walk isn't as far as when I stay at MSS. I like to play craps at MSS though, love the 20x odds. For restaurants I will split it between the Market St. Café at the Cal, the lanai at the Cal, Aloha specialties restaurant on the promenade, the buffet and 777 at MSS and also the paradise buffet at the Fremont. There is a McD's at the Plaza so I can go there for a quick breakfast.

    I also love the walkway between MSS and the Cal, that way I can enjoy restaurants and gaming between both hotel casinos. If I'm not lucky at one I can just walk over to the other.

    Before resort fees the EC had some of the better rates downtown but now with resort fees they aren't such a good deal anymore (hear that El Cortez?:Þ).

    I don't like the GG or the D because I'm not into the loud music. Plus I don't like the standard rooms at the GG and won't pay more for their newer suites. GN is over my price range plus I don't like gambling there (snooty crew and higher minimums). gaming at the DTG isn't the best either, plus it is kind of out of the way (no more than the EC IMHO) and because the casino many times is sparse (tables not filled, etc.) I don't have a good vibe to play there. The 4q's is all right but because everything is so close together I feel cramped when there are crowds there. Plus the time I stayed there they gave me lots of 2 for 1 coupons but I couldn't use them because I was a single. Their response: bring in a homeless person and buy them a meal. or else go looking for someone else to split the 2 for 1 with (I didn't appreciate their response or attitude, a simple "sorry" would have been the best response). Another thing was that they charged extra for parking for guests (not sure if that is the case now but it was number of years ago). But these are JMHO so someone else could have a different experience with those hotels. :wave:
     
  19. tnyqst

    tnyqst Tourist

    Joined:
    Jan 7, 2015
    Messages:
    51
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    9
    As I plan future trips to Las Vegas with Downtown being an option, I hope that this discussion can expand on makikiboy's statement. I have read other reviews that state that The D is directly above a stage and that music can go on loud and late into the night. I have on been there one time, but I really enjoyed the vibe at The D. But cannot imagine staying there if i can't sleep. Once I get to my room, I want it quiet.

    What downtown hotels are considered QUIET? Downtown Grand?
     
  20. ct-hawkeyes

    ct-hawkeyes Tourist

    Joined:
    Mar 27, 2015
    Messages:
    6
    Location:
    Milwaukee
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    15
    I have stayed at the MSS the past three times and have enjoyed it every time. I make solo trips so i can play as much poker as possible and the MSS is a perfect location for Binions summer tourneys.

    MSS breakfast buffet has custom omelettes, and other good sides and is only 6.99-7.99.

    777 brewpub is always good, prices are good and they have the bar to eat at if going solo.

    rooms are nice enough, always very clean, and have never had a noise issue.

    use the cross-over to the cal, take the exit behind binions and you are only outside of a casino for one block before you are on fremont street.

    That being said, if i went with my SO, i would stay at the nugget for the pool.
     
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.