Old School Baby
Written: Sep 14 '04
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Cheap
Cons: Very old
The Bottom Line: Very old, probably better deals to be found in Vegas
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| bbbradk's Full Review: Sahara Hotel & Casino |
Myself and my girlfriend recently spent 2 nights at the Sahara while visiting Las Vegas.
I found a rate of $65.00 a night on Hotwire.com.
I thought the listing was a little misleading, as the listing states the Sahara is located on the strip.
However upon arrival I realized that the Sahara is located at the very top end of the strip, so technically the hotel should be considered near strip, or upper strip.
As far as new Vegas standards go, this place is a relic, but knowing how long this hotel has been around, I imagine that at some point in time it must have been a palace.
The first thing I noticed upon entering the hotel was the age of it.
It doesn't look like they have redecorated in years.
Our first stop was the check in desk.
We were helped very quickly, I was a little angry over the power surcharge that they charge you above and beyond whatever rate you paid.
It was only a few dollars though, so I just let it slide.
We were then on our way to our rooms.
But not before encountering a pushy bunch of timeshare sales people located right beside the check in desk.
Evading these folks who cannot understand the word no became like a hobby over the next 2 days.
I really do not understand how any hotel would allow these vultures to bother their valued guests.
We proceeded up the elevators, and were shocked by how hot and sticky the hallways were outside our room.
Upon entering the room, my first item of business is always to crank up the air conditioning.
Unfortunately at the Sahara this is not an option.
They choose the temperature!! (there is a small sign beside the thermostat stating the hotel controls the temperature based on the outdoor temperature)
I boiled for a few minutes before becoming acclimatized.
There were a few times over the 2 days however that I really would have loved to crank up the a/c.
The room itself was fine.
Very basic, and like the rest of the hotel, old looking.
The television seemed to be 15-20 years old, and the picture flickered from color to black and white.
There were only about a dozen channels (and 2 of those were hotel information channels) but then who watches tv in Vegas LOL.
We had a pair of double beds, they were old and kind of saggy.
The sheets matched the 70's decor, and were very thin.
There was a small table, with two chairs, beside the table was a dataport (didn't use it)
The nicest part of the room was our walk out balcony.
It would have been much better if the hotel was not so far up the strip, as the view you got was pretty much of nothing.
Plus it was blisteringly hot on the balcony, and housekeeping obviously doesn't go out there, as there was some broken glass and an assortment of garbage out there.
Luckily the sliding door and bay window leading to the balcony are covered by a full length heavy curtain that blocks out any sunlight.
On to the bathroom.
I'm not sure why, but the sink and counter in the bathroom were really low, I had to stoop to wash my hands?
The hotel provides you with a tiny little no name bar of soap (the stuff you usually find in bad motels) and tiny bottles of shampoo and conditioner.
The shower was again built oddly low, and I had to stoop to rinse my head (I'm only 5"10)
They are also generous enough to provide plastic cups that are wrapped in celophane (also as provided in bad motels)
After a day in the sun I needed to get in a pool.
The pool area is quite nice.
There is a hot tub (not that you would need it in Vegas!) and a large swimming pool (that is only about four feet deep at the deep end)
The pool is surrounded by lounge beds, and fresh towels are plentiful.
There was a lifeguard on duty the whole time I was there as well.
My only complaint about the pool is you must walk through the casino to get there.
It can be awkward walking through in dripping wet shorts!
There are a few restaurants at the hotel, but I wasn't interested, there is so much good food in Vegas, there is no reason to waste time in a run down restaurant in a run down hotel.
Overall the hotel failed to impress me, and really price is the only reason I'd recommend the Sahara to anyone.
Thank you for reading, and please have a look at the great hotel write off website as I have entered this review.
http://www.angelfire.com/trek/greathotel2004/index.html
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
bbbradk
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Location: Toronto
Reviews written: 119
Trusted by: 42 members
About Me:
Hi there, I'm 37 live in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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