Downtown

I have stayed at Main Street Station and El Cortez both the last few years, both on comps from video poker play.El Cortez has bigger rooms and I love Roberta's for a fine steak dinner.Main Street has what I consider the best buffet downtown and great micro brews to boot.

If you dont want crowded......dont stay at the Nugget.......You should definitely try out the new upgrade Plaza.........Im curious how it will look........Ive also heard good things about the El Cortez.

I liked the 4Queens, although the Plaza and El-Cortez would make for some good choices.

We had reservations at the nugget but switched to plaza for 2 nights. It was 75 bucks cheaper and its freshly remodeled,new beds ,furniture everything supposedly.I'll know a lot more come end of sept and will be writing a TR when i get back.

J

I like 4-Queens, Main Street Station and the Golden Nugget!

The Best of Vegas poll for 2011 conducted by the Las Vegas Review-Journal results for the "Best Downtown Hotel" were:

Readers' Pick
1st__The Golden Nugget
2nd__The El Cortez - "Las Vegas Like It Used To Be"

LVR-J Editor's Pick
Main Street Station

DonDiego pretty much agrees.
__The Nugget is the class of downtown, but class comes with a price. Whether one avails oneself of its pleasures or not, a shark-infested swimming hole's gotta be paid for by everybody.
__The ElCo is DonDiego's favorite because i.he is cheap and ii.they offer the best gaming. (This is confirmed in the poll results where the ElCo is unanimously voted the "Best Blackjack" in the city.)
__Main Street Station is also excellent and moderately priced; the buffet is great; the brewpub is cool. What's not to like?
__The "new, improved" Plaza also ranks as a potential good choice. Everything has been totally refurbished, . . . lots of new restaurants, . . . lots of fresh rooms, unpermeated by cigarette smoke. DonDiego will be residing here in October.

For pattie627 DonDiego recommends either Main Street Station or The Plaza.

Enjoy !

I think a lot of the answer depends on where you are used to staying.

If you have been staying at one of the high end strip properties, some of the downtown places might be a bit of a shock to your system.

it also depends on where you gamble downtown. You may as well stay where you like to gamble. that way you might get room discounts and comps. as the others have said it all depends on what kind of hotel you want to stay at. GN if you want to have close to a strip hotel experience (but pay more), vegas club if you want to stay on the cheap (and lower quality rooms). Although I like the el cortez and have stayed there many times it is away from the fremont street experience canopy and a few block walk to get to the other casinos and downtown action. IMHO I think it would be more convenient and you would enjoy it more if you stayed at the hotels that are under the fremont street experience canopy such as the 4 queens, fremont and even the newly renovated plaza.

I don't think you can go wrong with most of the downtown hotels, there really aren't any hotels to stay away from. Each has their good points and bad points. For all except for the GN you won't be getting anything close to the strip experience and amenities will be few and far between.

On the 3rd party web sites the cheapest hotel rates seem to be at the el cortez, then the vegas club, fitz and 4 queens so it depends on what you want out of your hotel room and amenities.

When I first went downtown a few years ago the first place I got a players card was at the Fremont. I spent maybe forty bucks in the casino and I won about a hundred.

Then we went to eat at Main Street Station and then went back to the strip and never made it back that trip.

When I got back home right away I got a offer for four free nights and have been going back ever since.

Don't always stay at Fremont but I like staying downtown now.

Maybe spend one day on the strip each trip now.

I have some secret machines that I like to play at Fremont and the Cal. Usually do well on them.

I vote for the Four Queens!!!

Extra clean, great little restaurant and accessible to any of the other casinos by just a few steps.

I feel the Plaza and Main St. Station are too far AWAY from the Freemont area.

None of the downtown hotel/casinos have very good payouts but you do have fun trying to win something!

For YEARS we stayed on the busy strip but enjoy the calmness and easy maneuvering of downtown.
Will never go back!!

We do venture and stay at the Orleans however whenever we don't want downtown and when they offer us free rooms!!