Best Downtown Casino

I have never been off the strip but I plan on taking a virgin bus ride for a visit in Sept. I was considering staying there but got a better deal @ Excalibur so to the castle I come. I see that the suites downtown seem to be quite affordable along with the dining options. I am not afraid of shady situations cause I live in Washington DC and and grew up when we nicknamed it Dodge City. I usually come to Vegas solo because my friend gets upset with me when I gamble because she is not a gambler and hates watching me gamble. My typical Vegas couple vacation is doing Vegas tourist things by day, after dinner back to room putting her to sleep and me sneaking out the room for gambling. When I come stumbling back in the room after the sun has come up I have to explain that I am OK and you didn't have to worry about me, then its off to breakfast and to catch some rays by the pool (I take me shades and catch some ZZZ's) back to the room to change and to repeat the whloe process over again.
I usually only play poker but I play craps, roulette and BJ when the limits are low enough so I want to visit Downtown cause I hear thats where the low limit table games are.

 

I was gonna stay @ El Cortez cause I have read thats where the bus route begins on Fremont, this bus runs 24/7 am I correct? Plus I read somewhere that El Cortez has a free airport shuttle but can't remember where I read it at.

 

PS and who offers the best comps!!!!!

 

The best hotel downtown for location and aesthetics is Golden Nugget. Its in the middle of downtown and easy to travel from. The WAX bus stop is literally 50 feet from the front door.

To get from El Cortez to the rest of downtown, you'll have to walk through the bar area which Im ok with but certain people on VMB hate it.

For comps, Golden Nugget/D are probably the hardest downtown but if you get comps anywhere on the strip, the same play should be more than enough for any downtown property.

 

The new rooms are at the plaza or the D

I have stayed at the nugget and the lower priced rooms were not as nice

Location is unimportant when all the other places are à few steps away

Nugget is à status thing imho

 

The Nugget has a slight lead because of there pool that I just seen but gonna look at the plaza and the D and see what they have to offer.

 

As far as comps I mostly play poker so hard to get comped rooms and my table play is try to hit and run so I dont think I play long enough to get rated. I just shoot for discounted room rates!!!!

 

The best hotel DT is the Golden Nugget.

For comps - I found Boyd casinos to be pretty good (Fremont, The California and Main Street Station). The good news, if you don't get a vibe in one of their casinos, you can always try the other two within a 10 min walk.

 

For comps, Golden Nugget/D are probably the hardest downtown but if you get comps anywhere on the strip, the same play should be more than enough for any downtown property.
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I read some posts here about The D it seems it's very easy to get room comp at the D .

 

The nugget has now added a five dollar a night fee for the "Freemont Experience." It's a bunch of crap but I'll pay it cuz I like staying in the Rush Tower. Landrys bought the nugget and I think it's not the same. The grotto and the chart house have great happy hours and so does the red sushi, if that's your thing. Check their website for menus and hours. The grotto has seven dollar pizzas -- wood fired pizza -- from two to six mon. Through fri. Chart house is four to six mon through Friday. Great fish tacos and both places have drinks specials during happy hour.

 

Everything I've read is 5k+ coin in to get noticed at D/Nugget and 3k+ for rest of DT. Im sure it also depends on which games you play. I know I easily did over 3k at GN between craps, VP and Ultimate X and the best offer I've received so far is $10 off room rate. I did over 3k at D as well and havent received anything.

 

Tilman Fertitta, who owns Landry's, bought the Nugget, but that was back in '05... so I'd hope we'd all have had a chance to get used to the new ownership by now. Here's a nice little read about what he's doing with the Nugget "brand" these days.


http://www.reviewjournal.com/columns-blogs/inside-gaming/fertitta-creates-golden-nuggets

Hard to say who has the best downtown property... it's pretty much consensus that the Nugget offers the most "strip-like" amenities and experience, BUT most folks who love downtown aren't looking for "strip-like" anything... that's why they come downtown. The D, The Plaza and The Golden Gate have all sunk a good chunk of change into their joints. Binon's continues to whither and it's anyone's guess what the heck with be done with the Las Vegas Club. The Four Queens remains true to it's downtown roots and the Boyd properties (MMS, Cal, Fremont) probably have the most loyal clientele anywhere.

 

Whatever you do, do not take the deuce downtown....just catch a cab.

 

I stay at the GN all the time. I like nicer hotels. Very rarely do I gamble there. I play a very few slots that I will play there, and they have a $5 roulette table open all the time that I hit early in the a.m and that's all they get out of me as far as gaming monies are concerned. VP at the Cal or MSS, blackjack at Elco, slots at Fremont and Las Vegas Club or Golden Gate. I am leaning towards changing my reservation to the Plaza or possibly the Fremont...Either way you'll love downtown. Cheers..

 

From Excalibur to downtown is how much by cab?

 

Typically just under 30 dollars. But you never know about these cab drivers. Some of them will go the longer route, blaming bumper to bumper traffic, construction, etc.

Sometimes true, most times not.

IMHO the best Hotel Downtown is the GN. But even their Carson Tower rooms are about par with the other Hotels Downtown. The Gold and Rush Towers are supposedly better.

Again IMHO the best casino for gambling is MSS. Best casino over-all for ambience, fun, and drink service (at the tables) is Fremont.

 

My favorite for comps is 4 queens. I don't play slots, only video poker and 5 dollar blackjack. I'm a very thrifty Low roller, and always get 2 to 3 nights free sent to me quarterly. I even got an entry to a slot tournament which included full breakfast buffet and gift bag and 3 nights free last year. Also when I was playing $5 bj, I saw a guy get a dinner comp, so I asked the pitboss if I could get one too. He asked me if I had a companion with me, I said yes, and he gave me 2 dinner comps for 2 (total 4 dinners) at their coffee shop. Plus the cocktail service is exceptional when you play blackjack..not so much for vp.
I've probably played 1 hour at the D last year and I have gotten quarterly mailings from them all year as well.
I like playing video poker at the boars head bar..gorgeous vintage marble. I don't get many room comps for them though.
I turned down the free offers this time to try out the El Cortez, as I have heard that you stay there once you will get comps from then on. They also have full pay video poker single and double deck bj. 25c roulette too.
I've never played there, but since I'm going with a group Aug 17th as it was the cheapest place for everyone to stay (159 for 7 nights). Love to stay at a different place every time I go to Vegas. Love downtown the best!

 

If you are staying at ExCal, you can hop on the WAX bus (pick-up location on Tropicana between NYNY and Excal). $2 fare and you will be downtown in about 15 minutes.

http://www.rtcsnv.com/transit/routes-maps-schedules/ - RTC website for WAX bus time schedule.



As far as "best" downtown properties. Our personal favorite is the GN. If you get a Landrys Select card https://www.landrysselect.com/default.aspx you can get a free room upgrade (we have been upgraded three times from Carson to Rush rooms, and once from Carson to Gold rooms). Card is $25, but has $25 food credit on it for most of the GN restaurants. They also put $25 food credit on it during the month of your birthday.

That said, we prefer to do our gambling at El Cortez, 4 Queens, and the Boyds properties (Fremont, California, and MSS).

Besides the GN, we have stayed in MSS, Fremont, Four Queens, Fitzgeralds (both before and after becoming the D), and El Cortez. All are good, basic, clean rooms. I would not hesitate to stay in any of them again.

 

My girlfriend plays a ton of poker and GN has the best poker room (diverse/looser crowd) with Binions across the street for morning tourneys. She enjoyed playing at El Cortez as well but there werent many tables going when she was there and it was mostly older folks(tight players).

huh why? We caught the double decker bus from strip to downtown 2 trips ago. It was a cheap and pleasant ride.

 

I just looked and saw there are 3 Landry select restaurants in the GN as well. I think we'll be buying a card. For the free upgrade, do I have to give the card info when I book the room or just show it at the check in counter?