First time I've stayed downtown. Did it mainly for variety - I've spent plenty of time on the Strip. Didn't suffer too badly from traffic, although there are plenty of orange barrels and such.
Stayed at Downtown Grand using the LVA coupon to waive the resort fees. Saved $160+ right out of the box. Got a room upgrade of sorts to the 7th (of 8) floor of the Gallery tower due to joining their hotel rewards system. That saved a lot of walking. Quickly across the street from the self-park (free for hotel guests, various ways of getting it comped), diagonally through the casino, and up the elevators.
Room was small compared to Strip rooms, but more than adequate. Had a coffee maker - a first for me in Las Vegas. View was to the southeast. Not too much noise from Fremont Street. Planety of noise from Gold Strike across the street - but only on Thursday night. (They have a post-it on the bathroom mirror saying there are ear plugs at the front desk.) Staying on weekdays tends to avoid the biggest crowds/noise. King bed and a couch of sorts. No table for working, so another tower might be better if you plan on using a laptop not on your lap.
Everyone in the staff was very friendly, very professional. Definitely noticed the changes that have occurred since I booked after listening to Anthony and Andrew praise it. That was before the changes, and the decision to sell the resort. Still a very pleasant place to stay, convenient, I would go back.
Used a variety of other coupons from the book - Ellis Island, Mob Museum, El Cortez, etc. for meals and free play. The book paid for itself several times over.
Being a very novice gambler I tried to stick to Jacks or Better video poker. Might have seen one 8/5 machine, the rest were all 7/5 and even a few 6/4. No big wins, no big losses. But I'm not the type to spend more than $100 a session/day for gambling, so your mileage may vary.
Highlight of the trip was a visit to LVA to get some strategy cards. Simple building in industrial area. Small display of books. etc. in lobby. The receptionist was great, helped me find what I was looking for. Did not see Anthony or Andrew, but you can hardly expect them to spend time in the lobby waiting for random folks like me to show up.