Since our Nevada/Utah/Arizona itinerary called for a whopping five nights in Las Vegas, mr_chelledun and I decided to split our hotel stay three ways to combat boredom and to allow us to experience different areas of the city. For our couple of days in town prior to a Grand Canyon pilgrimage, we opted to check out the downtown area by way of an evening at the Golden Nugget. We didn’t expect too much at $120 for a Saturday night stay, but were attracted by the hotel’s much-hyped shark tank and proximity to the Fremont Street Experience. It’s always nice to be pleasantly surprised, and we were thrilled to find that our stay at this hotel far exceeded our expectations.

First Impressions
The Golden Nugget is located in Las Vegas’s downtown area, several miles from the more popular strip. We rented a car and found it easily and were pleased with the presence of fast and free valet parking. It doesn’t look like much from the outside, but on the inside this is actually a pretty swanky-looking place. The lobby and public hallways are bright and elegant, with dangling chandeliers and mirrors everywhere to give the illusion of space. I had plenty of time for checking out the scenery while waiting in the mammoth line we encountered while trying to check in at the peak time of 3:00 p.m.

The line moved relatively fast, though, and when we reached the front we were greeted by a friendly employee. She welcomed us to the Golden Nugget and indicated that she would be upgrading us to one of the hotel’s recently renovated “VIP Rooms”. Since we had paid for the cheapest room we were skeptical about whether this would be much of an upgrade, but we thanked her and loaded up on coupon books and entertainment schedules.

The Floor/Room
It was, in fact, an extremely good upgrade. Mr_chelledun and I had somehow found ourselves on one of the hotel’s three VIP floors which require a room key to even access. Upon exiting the elevator we were greeted by a modern, artistically decorated space with a rotating stock of complimentary goodies. Afternoon and evening brought free bottled water, trail mix, chocolate covered raisins, and M & Ms, morning brought coffee and fresh fruit. We stopped by on a lower floor out of curiosity and found a completely different decor and no free goodies. These perks were much appreciated, particularly the bottled water which we stocked up on for our trip to the Grand Canyon.

The room itself was equally impressive. It was clearly fresh out of rehab, and we felt quit posh amidst our art-bedecked surroundings. The furnishings were fun and funky. We had plenty of live greenery in the form of three small dessert plants and a tree in one corner. The main area of the room contained a comfy bed, a couch that wrapped around one corner, an armchair, and an ottoman/end table. An entertainment unit at the front of the room housed a huge flat screen television, DVD player, and a lighted desk space. We also had one of those little stands intended to hold the next day’s clothing and jewelry. Amenities included a small CD collection and plenty of upscale reading material of the Cigar Aficionado variety. Our room had a view of the pool complex and the city, which is probably about as good as it gets here.

The bathroom was about twice the size of most hotel bathrooms, with a TV built in the mirror and a bench counter with seat and lighted makeup mirror.

Recreational Areas
We spent a couple of hot afternoon hours at the Golden Nugget’s recently renovated pool complex, also known as “the Tank.” The centerpiece of the area is a giant aquarium filled with sharks and huge fish. We counted at least four or five sharks of various sizes. What makes this area unique is the fact that the aquarium actually shares a wall with the pool, making it possible for swimmers to come face to face with these giant sea creatures. A super fun slide zips right through the center of the aquarium, although by that point you’re going too fast to really see anything. Finding seating can be tricky, but if the main deck is full head for the “adults only” area on the third tier of the complex.

Expect to also find a casino, of course, and a relatively classy one by downtown standards. The shape is somewhat odd, as slots and tables feel sort of squeezed into every available nook and cranny, but the staff is friendly and the atmosphere pleasant. Mr_chelledun and I joined the player’s club and each received $10 in free slot money which we promptly turned into enough to pay for dinner and then stopped. Overall, I considered this a pretty successful foray into the world of Golden Nugget gambling.

The Golden Nugget also has a spa with a fitness room. My one real agitation with my stay, though, was the fact that one is required to pay $20 for a spa pass to access the hotel’s treadmills and weight equipment. I’ve heard of a $10 fitness room admission, but there was no way mr_chelledun and I were going to pay $40 for an hour’s workout, so we took to the streets in our sneakers instead.

Restaurants
The Golden Nugget has several dining options within its walls, the most upscale being a steakhouse called Vic and Anthony’s. We peeked in and thought the space and the menu looked great, but were hesitant to spend steakhouse prices at a place operated by Landry’s corporation, creator of Rainforest Cafe and similar gimmicky concepts. Don’t get me wrong, I love me some audio-animatronic parrots, but you don’t pay $75 per person for your hamburger at such a place. We opted instead to eat dinner at The Buffet, which was my first official Vegas buffet. The cost was $20.99 for dinner, and the food was okay. Mr_chelledun liked the seafood but the desserts were mediocre and most of the meat overcooked. I’d probably try it again for a lower cost meal like breakfast.

Other dining options include a casual Italian trattoria located directly off the casino and the Carson Street Cafe, a traditional snack bar/coffee shop. Drinks can be purchased at the “Dive” pool bar and several other locations around the complex.

The Fremont Street Experience
This much hyped “experience” takes place in a covered tunnel which runs the length of Freemont Street, past a dozen or so casinos (Four Queens, Binions, Fitzpatrick’s, etc.) and innumerable bars, clubs, and souvenir stores. Several times each night, the area goes dark and a light show shoots down the tunnel. I understand the current show is a Queen Tribute, but when we were in town, we got a special show specific to the Hawaiian Tropic model search, which we watched for about two hours. The show came complete with free entertainment in the form of an Everclear concert and a questionable performance by a past Miss Hawaiian Tropic.

Fremont Street is a great place to stay because prices are affordable and there is always lots going on. We enjoyed popping into these “oldie but goodie” casinos and checking out the modern and historic neon signage. There are deals to be had – we got $1.00 margaritas at the Fremont and seriously considered 99 cent hot dogs and shrimp cocktails elsewhere. The atmosphere is sleazy in a fun way and I would definitely like to spend a couple more days downtown sometime.

Overall…
We had a great time at the Golden Nugget and will definitely stay there again should we return to downtown. Our room was nice enough that I would consider paying for the VIP floor. Friendly staff, attractive public spaces, and a great location make this hotel a winner.

Recommended: Yes