First time stay at the California

My wife and I have over 20 trip staying downtown . We mainly stay at the Golden Nugget or the Four Queens. We got a good deal for the California and have always gamble there and thought we would stay this time. Whats it like, how are the rooms and what is the parking like? Thanks

 

Valet parking only, although there's also a pay lot across the street. (I don't drive in Vegas.)

Nothing fancy, but we find the Cal's rooms better than those at the Fremont and MSS. Fridge and quieter than the other two Boyd properties. We always stay in the older east tower (by vallet and the desk), but the west tower is about the same. Stayed there as recently as last Thursday and now at Fremont on final full day of 10 day trip.

 

We use the parking garage for The Cal. It is off of Stewart. Sometimes there is an attendant and you need to validate parking ticket at the cashier. Other times nobody is in the booth. It is easy to get in and out of. There are about 5 or 6 levels. I have never had a problem weekdays. I will be staying there for my first time next week. I would assume that hotel guests just need to show room key.

 

Thanks for the info looks like parking is no problem.

 

Not true at all at the Cal. They have a parking garage (enter on the east side) ... first couple floors are for valet, but above that, hotel guests park free. Visitors just need to get their parking stub validated. And, the parking garage elevator at the Cal takes you right down to the Hotel check-in area. The MSS parking garage is slightly separated from the main building, and there is about a 100 foot walk to the entrance door.

Also ... the rooms at the Cal are indeed smaller than the MSS (we stay at both places), but both places have a mini-fridge.

 

Whoops! I got Cal parking mixed up with that at the Fremont. Buddha's correct - sorry about that.

 

I like the Cal rooms and the couple times I stayed there, there was a fridge. Not sure if that is standard but it was nice.

 

More info on the Cal:

Parking garage - As others mentioned, there is a parking garage connected to the Cal. The garage elevator is located near the bell desk and the front desk. The first 2 floors are for valet and the other 3 are for the public. You can validate your parking stub (I think it's only for 3 hours though), there is a stamper near the cashier's cage. For hotel guests you need to go to the front desk and they will write up a parking card for you. It is a yellow card and they will check your stay on the computer and will date it and put your room number on the card and it will be good for your entire stay there. You just show it to the attendant when you exit. For the public there are 2 entries to the parking garage, one from stewart street (stewart meets up with main street) and the other is through the valet area, just stay in the right hand lane and skip the valet and take the driveway to the parking lot. The stalls are decent size (not cramped), garage aisles are wide enough for 2 cars to pass each other.

The parking garage sometimes gets filled in the evenings, especially on friday and saturday nights. There is an overflow lot across the street and it handles overflow parking for the MSS and the Cal (used to be a RV park). Probably same procedures with parking stub (sometimes no attendant but other times you need validation or hotel card).

Rooms: Actually I like the rooms in the west tower better. Mostly because the bathrooms are a lot larger than the east tower bathrooms (there is an exception, some rooms in the east tower are larger, they are near the elevator). The west tower bathrooms contain the toilet, tub and sink (unlike MSS and I think the Cal east tower where the tub and toilet is in the "bathroom" and there is a separate sink and vanity area. I could be mistaken with the east tower as I last stayed there many years ago and almost exclusively stay in the west tower).

Also, if you stay in the west tower be sure to ask for a room facing west (facing main street). If you get a room facing east you will be facing the east tower, not much of a view and the fans below are noisy IMHO. Same with the east tower, get a room facing east. For the west tower try to get a lower number room as the higher numbered rooms are farther from the elevators (a pain if you are all the way at the end of the floor, lol).

The rooms are nice (refurbished a few years ago) and comfortable for 2 people. The rooms are decent, your standard downtown rooms (similar to the MSS, 4q rooms). May not be a luxurious as the GN rooms but probably one of the better downtown rooms IMHO. There is a table if you want to read the paper or eat. There is a small fridge to handle your stuff. There is also a wall "safe", probably about 15" x 12" and 3" deep. Enough to hold small laptops, cameras and other valuables. There is (supposedly) only 1 key so if you lose it you will be charged to get a locksmith to open it.

not sure if it matters to you but some floors are completely non smoking.

Here are reviews of the hotel and they also show some pictures of the hotel and room:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g45963-d91763-Reviews-California_Hotel-Las_Vegas_Nevada.html

Some people don't like the hotel because it is off the FSE but it isn't very far to walk - only a block away (if you like you can cross the street and walk through binions or the lvc to get to the FSE). There is a 2nd floor area with an eatery, arcade, Ethel M's and ice cream place (specialty store with beef jerky, etc.) and you can walk over the walkway to get to the MSS without going outside.

 

Thanks again everyone. 1/6/13 here we come!

 

oh my, good luck with your trip. Just FYI, you will be there probably the most busiest time of the year. The annual consumer electronics show (CES) is on that week, from Jan 8 - 11 so the strip will be an absolute nuthouse. At least downtown may not be as crowded as the strip but be prepared for crowds if you go near the strip.



Wish I could make it but I went this year and will skip 2013.

 

I haven't stayed downtown in years, but always-always visit several times per trip. The Main Street Station parking is refundable at the casino cage ($3 regular/$5 special event) and there is always parking available. The parking is totally free if you flash your B-Connected (Boyd property) card. It's open-air and this last week is the most crowded I have ever seen (over half full during daytime).