I used the LVA coupon to fill in between several nights at the 4Q and several more at the Plaza. I initially paid for three nights but only stayed for two (due to a scheduling blunder on my part). M/Tu/Wed, $49 each night plus tax. Here are my impressions:
Parking: borderline horrible. You can park in the lot across the street and then get your ticket validated, but...it's across the street. So you grab your bag(s) and then walk walk walk walk walk down to street level...then schlep across the busy street...then walk walk walk walk walk back to the front desk. You want valet parking, peasant? Twenty bucks! Contrasts with valet being free at the 4Q.
Note: you can get a valet pass for $500 worth of slot/VP action. The valet guy told me, erroneously, that as long as I was staying in the hotel, the $25 mandatory play (which you need to get out of the garage across the street) would be enough. It wasn't. I had to barf up a twenty to get outta there. Good news: I complained to the front desk that I had been misled and they credited the valet charge back on my bill. So, yay them.
Checking in: the hotel is basically a U-shape straddling the pedestrian-only street perpendicular to Ogden. So there's only one aboveground physical connector between the two towers. After checking in, you walk walk walk walk walk to a bank of elevators, take one to the third floor, walk walk walk walk walk across the bridge, take another elevator to your floor, and walk walk walk walk walk to your room. This journey will be much shorter if you end up in the closer tower--but you won't be there if you use the coupon, or any other deal.
The room: very nice, very roomy, bed was comfy. Despite my apprehensions, the Fremont Noise Experience wasn't an issue at all. Probably the nicest rooms downtown, as everything's newish.
Me hungry eat food: used my $25 play to buy the coupon and had the Freedom Beat American Breakfast, which was really, really good and worth the $8 for sure (probably not the $16 rack rate). I also had the late night burger special, which is $7.77 at the bar after 10 PM. The burger and fries were as close to perfect as it gets. I'm definitely going to try more of Freedom Beat's offerings in the future.
Me gamble sorta kinda: I used the LVA matchplay to generate the "sure thing" $20 at the craps table; they provide a similar matchplay coupon at check-in, which I used the next day. So you can pretty much figure on saving $40 no matter what. I looked for the legendary $1 BJ table but couldn't find it. There were several tables dealing this bizarre perverted carny version of BJ where there were about seventeen side bets you could make on the layout, stuff like if you get the Queen of Hearts and three red threes you win the Super Bonus, or something. The players seemed to be having a good time, so more power to them. It was otherwise unremarkable $15 minimum downtown 6:5 shit.
The only playable VP is 8/5 Bonus for quarters. Its utility is essentially to earn the parking passes and half off food coupons. Everything else is (sadly) nothing better than the usual downtown slop.
Conclusion: great value with the application of coupons, terrific eats, rooms very nice at a good price, and a free aerobic workout at the beginning and end of every day/your stay. Now, if only the gambling was more than mediocre (as was the case not very long ago)...
