Fremont vs MSS vs CAL

I always appreciate everyone's opinions on this board, so here goes.

Myself and a friend are hopefully traveling to Vegas in late August. We are staying downtown and have narrowed our choices down to the Boyd properties.

I'm having trouble deciding. I have stayed at the Fremont before, but its been probably 5 plus years. Never stayed at MSS or CAL. I like the Fremont, but the bathrooms are pretty small. Being able to get dressed in the bathroom is a must.

We also love love love to play Craps, so fun craps tables are a plus. Frankly, being a distance away from Fremont St isn't a big deal at all when you compare the distances on the Strip.

I guess one of my biggest concerns is the bathroom size, but that's not a deal breaker. Since I'm already familiar with Fremont casino, tell me about the bathrooms at CAL and MSS and other reasons I should consider these two hotels.

Prices are identical for our time frame for all three, so I need reasons to choose one over the other.

Thank you for your help!
Kay

 

The Fremont hasn't changed much since the last time you've been there. You already know what the Fremont has to offer and it's one of my favorite places to visit and play. I'd only stay there when going solo because the bathroom is so small. My Wife would not appreciate that but other than that the Fremont is hard to beat.

I've stayed at the MSS a few times and the rooms are always clean. The bathrooms are bigger although one of the negatives is the low shower head. If you are taller than 5'7" then it might be a bummer. People talk about the train noise on one side of the tower and the freeway noise on the other side but personally it doesn't bother us but if it's a concern ask for a higher floor, it should help. By the way the make-up vanity is located outside the bathroom which worked out great for us as my Wife can do make- up while I can use the bathroom.

The Cal's rooms are somewhat similar, however the east tower rooms are older with the toilet/tub/shower in a closet and the sink/vanity outside. The West tower rooms have the sink/vanities all in the same room as the tub/shower and the bathroom overall is relatively roomy. The west tower rooms have been renovated so they look more newer. Both the Cal and MSS rooms are a tad bigger than the Fremont rooms.

I always think of the Cal/MSS as one casino because of such an easy way to get from one to the other. They are connected by the internal sky bridge located on the Cal's 2nd flr. mezzanine which makes it a snap.

All 3 Boyd properties have elevators that open right up into the casino although the MSS elevators open up in their registration lobby at the end of their casino. But since the MSS is a tiny casino it's no biggie. The Cal's east tower elevators open up into the casino where the registration is and the west tower elevators open up essentially in the third half of the casino where the Café and Redwood Grill is located.

There are many dining options at the Cal whereas the MSS is restricted to two: Triple 7 and the Buffet. The Cal has Redwood Grill (casual fine dining) The Noodle Shop, Market St. Café (24 hr.) Cal Club (quick snacks, sandwiches, burgers, hot dogs, etc.) and Aloha Specialties (Hawaiian fast food). But because these two properties are so close together and easy to access any of these places are less than minutes away. The MSS Buffet is great with features like steak night, seafood night, and prime rib night, all priced at great value. The Triple 7 Brewpub is a very popular eatery that brews its own beers and offer very good bar type foods in addition to great steaks and seafoods.

All Boyd properties offer very good gambling options, low minimums ($5.00 practically everywhere) on table games and probably the best VP paytables available just about anywhere. In my opinion the only thing Downtown Boyd lacks in is the latest Video slots. The clientele here seems to prefer the old reel slots and the machines are all the older but popular types.

I'm sure others will chime in to help you decide what to do. The three Boyd Properties Downtown is very popular with many people on this board.

Have fun! You can't go wrong with any one of them.

 

Last June CAL was only 2x odds MSS 3X4X5X . Stayed at MMS from what I remember bathroom about average size. Main rooms a little larger than most DT rooms. I think MMS a step above other DT casinos. A LOT LESS *********.
Cal has the pool though.

 

I don't think that MSS ever had 3x4x5 odds. As long as I remember, MSS always had 20x odds on craps. Unless maybe it was this way for special events or new years or something I never ever saw 3x4x5 odds at MSS.

The Cal offers only 2x odds (same as at the Fremont) but I think the draw is their golden arm club where you get to be a member if you roll for over 1 hour. Fremont's draw is their one $3 crap table but they give you prizes if you have so many rolls or if you have so many blackjacks in a 24 hour period (check with the casino on their prizes and rules).

As you and others mentioned, the Fremont bathrooms are small. The West tower at the Cal bathrooms are bigger and contain a long vanity area, tub and toilet. The east tower bathrooms at the Cal is similar to the bathrooms at MSS, toilet and tub in one room (with a door) and the vanity area is outside next to that "bathroom". Guess MSS and the Cal east tower bathrooms are good for 2 people where one person can do his/her "business" in the toilet/tub room and the other can get ready in front of the vanity mirror.

Here are some pictures of the bathrooms at the Cal (note they also include the east tower bathrooms): http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g45963-d91763-Reviews-California_Hotel-Las_Vegas_Nevada.html#photos click on the bathroom pictures to get an idea how they look.

The Cal and MSS casinos are more sedate compared to the louder party atmosphere you find at most of the other downtown casinos. But in the evenings the casinos can fill up (especially the MSS craps tables). No scantily clad dancing dealers or loud music, the Cal and MSS are both great for the older folk who are more laid back ("Hawaiian" laid back and slow atmosphere IMHO) interested in gambling (thus some of them are very serious) and not interested in a party like atmosphere.

I actually like the Cal better than MSS, I like the rooms in the west towers and I don't have to walk all the way to the back of the hotel casino to catch the elevator to get to my room like at MSS. I know this is only a few minutes extra but it can sometimes get a little irritating if you want to get back to your room quickly from the FSE.

As others mentioned, for people with sensitive hearing MSS can give you trouble because they have the train tracks on one side and the freeway on the other. Both can cause some people to have trouble sleeping. I think the majority of us are dead to the world when sleeping so it isn't a problem but there are some people who have trouble sleeping at MSS. The Cal west tower rooms facing west you can also hear loud trucks and ambulances/fire truck sirens passing by on Main St.

The self parking structure at the Cal is connected to the casino so very easy to get in and out of the hotel. The MSS parking structure is separate from the hotel so if it is raining or there are harsh elements you could get wet. Both have valet areas. Fremont doesn't have self parking, you have to valet with them all the time. At the Cal and MSS parking is free for hotel guests but you may get charged depending on your Boyd bconnected card level.

The Cal has a pool but I think guests at MSS can also go to that pool. The pool is small and sparse, no drink service and a lot of times the pool is cold (even in the summer) because it is shaded by the LVC tower.

Personally I don't mind staying at either hotel, as someone mentioned I feel they are connected by the overpass and promenade and very easy to go between both hotels. Don't think you can go wrong with either hotel IMHO if you just want a basic safe place to stay.

 

Personally, I prefer for MSS for 2 reasons: craps and beer. MSS has always had 20x odds and great dealers. Plus, the 777 brew pub is there and you can get their freshly brewed beer at the tables. But, the Cal and MSS are connected by a walkway over Main Street, so it really doesn't matter much which hotel you stay in. I like the rooms in each.

 

Awesome advice from everyone, this is great. This is the first time my Vegas travel buddy and I are choosing to stay downtown. (my previous stay downtown was with a family member who hated to gamble, so that sucked)

We have always been strip rats, but lately, we find the strip no longer values (or cares) about gamblers. We also seem to spend more than half our time downtown whenever we come anyway, as we love playing Binions poker tournaments and then finding other mischief to get into when downtown. Our haunt used to be the IP/Quad/LINQ, but now with all its changes, it also seems no longer geared towards gamblers and more geared towards partying. Now, we like to have fun, but that fun usually involves WAY too many free drinks at the poker table/craps table/bubble craps machine. That's why we are now moving our annual trip to what I consider REAL VEGAS.

Thanks again for your advice. We will mull this over, but it sounds like no matter where we stay, we won't be disappointed!

 

I've stayed in all three Boyd downtown hotels (actually all seven Vegas properties) more times than I'd care to count) and have only good things to say about all of them. At this point, and considering how close everything downtown is, I couldn't care less where I stay. Prices being equal (?), what does it matter when you can go from one to the other in minutes and maybe get a little exercise along the way?

Anyway, since you've mentioned bathroom size more than once, go with the Cal or MSS and play where you want. Depending on trip length, you might even want to divide your stay. You can't go wrong with any of them.

 

1 person to a room? Fremont. Ask for an even-numbered room (window faces west/Binion's) on the 6th floor, closest to Ogden. You will be able to sleep fine, with no FSE noise issues. The Fremont has the fastest & shortest walk from your room to a crap table in all of Las Vegas.

2 in the room? Go with MSS over the Cal... I haven't stayed in either, but I've gambled in both a lot. The 'vibe' at MSS just always seems more lively & fun.

 

Main Street. Better odds; dealers; craps. Rooms are great............... for sleepin!

Oh beer too!

Go see Jose at Boars Head; or Kelly...or Chris....or Olegg...oh heck just go have fun!

 

I do love the roll counter in the middle of the craps table at Fremont. I have only stayed at Fremont so I cannot speak on the rooms at other places.

 

Do they still give stuff away for x-number of rolls? Ms. Gecko and I each "earned" Craps Shooter jackets for 30 or 40-something (don't remember) rolls.

 

Yes they still do. They have big posters in the area to push people to the craps tables. But then this is only at the $5 tables. I learned that the hard way, I was making $5 bets and odds bets on the $3 tables but at the end I wasn't rated very high and even though I had about 50 rolls they said that it only counts half on the $3 tables so no jacket. I made out anyway so didn't matter that I didn't win a jacket.