The ongoing renovation of the Golden Gate, first announced in Septeber 2011, is the second major overhaul the historic property has undertaken in a half-century, following an upgrade of the rooms and casino when new partner Derek Stevens first took a share in 2008. A "sexing-up" also ensued, with the addition of one of the hotter "party pits" in town and the new "Flair Bar" outside, with its bikini bartenders.
The latest round of improvements have included the addition of a five-story "tower" housing 16 luxury suites (14 of which are completed and available to book), a new lobby, and a porte-cochère for valet, plus an enlargement of the casino floor, including a relocating of the casino bathrooms and the addition of a new high-limit area. Other cosmetic touches to fixtures and fittings are being applied inside and out in an effort to keep the old-world feel of the place, which first opened in 1906, while bringing the old girl into the 21st century (you'll find art deco accents and historic black and white photographs juxtaposed with flat-screen TVs, for example). The new suites aren't lavish, but they're modern and well-appointed with mini-bars, safes, and all the latest electronics, putting them at the top of the list for downtown accomodations with the Golden Nugget, the renovated rooms at the Plaza, and the Cabana Suites at El Cortez. The Golden Gate suites start at $109 on weekdays, and run from $139 to $169 on weekends.
The upgrade is almost totally complete at this point, with only the two penthouse suites in the new tower still under construction and some finishing touches being completed on the outside. A spokesman we spoke to said they hoped to have all the work finished by July, which would keep the project pretty much on schedule. The famed Deli currently remains closed, with murmurings that it may reopen at some future date, but there's no confirmation of that. We'll keep you posted.
