The Nugget is tops for all around hotel in Vegas(includes my 4/2007 update)
Written: Nov 29 '04 (Updated May 14 '07)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Classy, inexpensive, pool, rooms.
Cons: Well, you are downtown. No strip to walk, only 4 blocks of casinos.
The Bottom Line: If you want a 3-4 star hotel, and get tired of the hassle of the strip, go for the Golden Nugget downtown. Classy.
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| an_amazing_guy's Full Review: Golden Nugget Hotel And Casino |
(see my update at the end).
I have been going to Vegas for about 28 years. I've stayed at Circus, Westward Ho, the old Aladdin, the old Dunes, the old and new Stardust, Flamingo, Treasure Island, Las Vegas Hilton, Four Queens, Plaza, Fitzgeralds, and many more. So, I have some general idea of what the hotels are like, except for the very top end hotels like the Venetian and Bellagio.
Where to start? First, the huge hotels like the MGM and Excalibur are just too darn big. You walk miles, park miles away or wait forever for a cab, etc. wait to checkin, wait to checkout and wait to eat. I very much recommend that you don't go the the 3000-4000 room hotels. Personal service is almost impossible.
The Nugget history: The Golden Nugget was a typical hotel downtown, lots of neon and nothing special. Steve Wynn bought it, renovated it for 43 million, and added the subdued exterior (no flashy neon) and the brass/mirror look. I talked a while back with someone who told me it takes $2000 a day to clean all the mirrors and brass, and they are cleaned every day. There is a North tower and a South tower. The North is the older tower, the South is the newer. They are building yet another tower now. I have stayed in both, and I like the South tower much better. I understand that they have renovated the North tower since I stayed there, but I still would prefer the South tower, because I believe you can't put lipstick on a pig. Wynn sold out all his properties (Mirage, Treasure Island, Nugget, Bellagio) to MGM. MGM then sold off the Nugget a few years later.
Frank Sinatra sung at the Nugget, and they once had a thriving showroom. No more. The showrooms downtown are all but gone. They still have a show(s), but it's hard to fill.
The downtown area, for those unfamiliar, is a tad seedy in spots. It still has a lot of the "old Vegas" feeling. It's really not as scary as some folks might suggest. I always carry a gun (just kidding.) If you want total opulence, downtown is not for you. But forget the scare tactics that would suggest it's dangerous - it's not at all. I think that's perpetuated by the strip casinos.
The downtown area actually is the original "vegas" city, with the train station that ran to Vegas, and the train station was in the Union Plaza hotel (Union Pacific railway). The Union Plaza hotel is now called the Plaza. The downtown area is now officially the "Fremont street experience", which is the light show on a giant overhead archway that extends three blocks or so. It really is fun to watch, but I'm jaded now, so it's just a bunch of flashing lights to me. The show changes thru the night, runs on the hour (I believe), and has a wild sound system to add to the effect. Some of the hotels near the Plaza are the oldest in Las Vegas.
The hotel rooms: OK, I know there are differences, but to me most rooms in Las Vegas are more alike than different. The Nugget has clean rooms, fairly spacy, some (not all) nice views, modern decor and bathroom. The feel of the room is very positive, if that makes any sense. You don't feel like examining the carpets for unknown substances. The toiletries are high end, and the bathroom is roomy also. I would rate it similar to high end hotels around the country. The rooms I've had have been quiet (a issue in a town that never sleeps). Tip: Get a room in the South tower, on the lower floors if you want a fast elevator ride, or on the upper floors if you don't mind waiting for the elevators. They can be a bit slow. There are two banks of elevators, lower(1-9) and upper floors. The lower floors are better served. The South tower is a bit of a walk from the casino. Down that long corridor, take a left, and down another long corridor. But, most Vegas hotel rooms are a hike away, too.
Parking: Across from the South tower lobby, out the door and across the street is the free-standing Golden Nugget parking lot. I find it really handy to exit the elevators and walk across to the garage. But you do go outside, which is no big deal. Parking is, of course, free to guests. One of the ugly facts of Vegas is that all the downtown Casinos 'charge' for parking. You have to validate your ticket to get free parking in most places. It's usually very easy, but it's still a pain.
The casino: I love the casino. It's bright and clean, the dealers are mostly nice, you can usually get a free drink while gambling at the tables or slots, and they have 99 brands of beer, if that's your thing. The casino cage never seems crowded (my pet peeve at some casinos). I am not an expert at the payout frequencies, but my anecdotal evidence is that the payouts are better than the strip, and the overall statistics show that to be the case on downtown vs. the strip. It's the nicest casino. I have a soft spot for some of the other casinos downtown, but they aren't as classy. Now, your experience will be shaded by individual dealers and specific gambling wins and losses. So, your experience will vary at the Nugget, and everywhere else, too. As per everywhere else, join the 24 Karat club to rack up points if you plan on doing some serious money crunching in the casino. It's their way of keeping you "loyal", as in "don't leave the premises to gamble anywhere else".
Room Service: Wow, the Golden Nugget has the greatest breakfast room service in the world. I always have room service there for breakfast, because it's not expensive, and it's white tablecloth service with a flair. If you stay there, absolutely get breakfast room service. Really, I mean it. It's that good.
Restaurants: I have only eaten in their 2 high end restaurants a few times, but they are first class high end restaurants. Don't know about Zax, a new hip restaurant/bar. It's always tricky to guarantee a great meal at any restaurant, because things vary and things change. But overall, I have never been disappointed in their high end restaurants. I have been disappointed on the strip. Carson street Cafe: The coffee shop is very, very large. Leave a bread crumb trail to get out. I have eaten in this coffee shop many times. The food is usually good, and portions reasonably large. The service, at times, is a few minutes slower than I would like. But at off-peak times the service is good. In all of Vegas, the wait staff are in the culinary union, and they make good wages and are very professional. Expect good service everywhere, and if you don't get it, complain. The setting is open onto the corridor to the South tower, and the view is pretty good.
(new)Pool: The Nugget has a really good (new) pool. It's off the same corridor as Carson Street Cafe. It has a shark tank, slide, and lots of chairs. It's now quite popular, much more so than in previous years. See their website.
Spa and beauty salon other special stuff: They have all that "extra" stuff for those who indulge, which neither I nor my wife do. See goldennugget.com for more info on that stuff.
Comparisons: There is no absolute measure of a casino/hotel, only how it compares to others. The Nugget is better than any hotel downtown, absolutely. It is not as classy as the Bellagio, Venetian... But you pay $300 a night at those places. (It takes a million dollars a day just to pay the interest on the loan to build the Bellagio.) The Nugget is better than most strip hotels. It is cheaper than most strip hotels, but not necessarily on the weekends. All the hotels have some giant, maniac computer that sets the room rates, and they seem a bit like a crap shoot. Different days of the week, seasons, conventions - different prices. So you can pay anywhere from $60 to $130 dollars a night typically. (tip: some hotels keep you at the same high rate for your entire stay, even though if you checked out and then back in, you would pay a lower rate.) So, if they quote you a really high rate, you crapped out.
Sight to see: The Golden Nugget has a display of a few gold nuggets, including the worlds largest gold nugget on public display, on display off the first lobby by a bank of phones. It once had many, many nuggets, now it only has about 3. Hard to find, you may have to ask. It's worth seeing if you're downtown. Also, Las Vegas Club Casino has a ton of sports memorabilia, if that's your thing.
Buffet: I didn't mention the Buffet in restaurants because I classify buffets as a military exercise, not dining. If you really want "all you can eat", give it a try, but I haven't found one buffet that was worth the price they charge. I gave up on them years ago, although I have heard that the Rio has a really awesome buffet.
Why: Why stay at the Golden Nugget? Firstly, I would not recommend a first-time Vegas visitor staying downtown. The electricity of the Strip is too strong. If you get tired of the crowds, lousy payoffs, food lines, endless walks between casinos, and feel like you've "done" it on the strip, then stay at the Nugget. Your walking distances are shorter, if your restaurant is too crowded, you can go next door, the payoffs are better, the minimum bets are smaller, etc. You can stay at a first class place, but get a little feel for the "old vegas" that once was. Howdy Pardner. ( that's what Vegas Vic used to say continuously in front of the Pioneer club).
I have never had a bad stay at the Golden Nugget, and I've stayed there about 12 times. It's my primary hotel choice now.
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5/2006 update
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I just recently stayed here again. DISAPPOINTMENT. It is obvious that the bean counters have attacked the place, because they have cut back staff, cut back the quality, and raised some prices. First, the South Tower check-in is closed. Not as convenient to checkin from the garage. The prices for food, especially room service, went way up. The soap in the room went from first-class to no-class. I have seen nicer soap in a motel 6 kind of place. This is still an OK place, but not at the level it once was. Pity. But I have to be honest. Drop it one or two stars.
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Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
an_amazing_guy
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Location: Illinois
Reviews written: 26
Trusted by: 1 member
About Me:
Adult male, technical, electronics degree.
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