Frommer's Las Vegas 2004

MID-STRIP 99
There’s a full-service spa and health club with a complement of machines,
plus sauna, steam, whirlpool, massage, on-site trainers, TVs and stereos with
headsets, and anything else you might need (including a full line of Sebastian
grooming products in the women’s locker rooms). There’s a $20-per-day fee to
use the facilities.
The pool is not that memorable, with none of the massive foliage and other
details that make the one at The Mirage stand out (so blah is it that the staff didn’t
even bother to check room keys when last we swam here). It’s a large, free-form
swimming pool with a 230-foot loop slide and a nicely landscaped sun-deck area.
It’s often crawling with kids, so if that’s a turn-off, go elsewhere.
3300 Las Vegas Blvd. S. (at Spring Mountain Rd.), Las Vegas, NV 89109. & 800/944-7444 or 702/894-7111.
Fax 702/894-7446. www.treasureisland.com. 2,891 units. From $69 double; from $109 suite. Extra person $25,
no discount for children. Inquire about packages. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Free self- and valet parking. Amenities:
Casino; showrooms; 11 restaurants; outdoor pool; health club and spa; very well-equipped game and video
arcade; concierge; tour desk; car-rental desk; business center; shopping arcade; 24-hr. room service; laundry service;
dry cleaning; nonsmoking rooms; executive-level rooms. In room: A/C, TV w/pay movies, fax, dataport, hair
dryer, iron and board, safe.
MODERATE
Barbary Coast Hotel & Casino You can’t fault the location of this hotel. It’s
right on the busiest corner of the Strip, smack in the middle of the action. With
all the hotel business (the itty-bitty reception desk and tiny sundries/gift shop
counter) set on the fringes of the small, dark, cluttered casino, this is very old
Vegas, which is sort of a good thing; but unfortunately, it’s becoming harder to
wrap one’s mind around it in these days of megacasino complexes. Nevertheless,
a small hotel is a rare thing in this town, and a face-lift would make the Barbary
Coast a nice boutique hotel. Let’s encourage them in that direction.
Rooms have not-precisely-inviting dark tones (think bordello burgundy) and
little sitting areas separated by curtains. King rooms are more spacious. Bathrooms
are dinky but not dreary, mattresses are new and thick. Beware: The very
loud intersection outside can make rooms noisy.
Drai’s, an upscale restaurant, is covered in detail in chapter 6. Michael’s is the
hotel’s premier restaurant, with only two seatings a night in an intimate, old-fashioned
room. The food gets raves, but the menu is completely dated (chops and the
like), so it’s best for those with deep pockets who mistrust nouvelle cuisine. Two
bars serve the cheerful and ornate casino.
3595 Las Vegas Blvd. S. (at Flamingo Rd.), Las Vegas, NV 89109. & 800/634-6755 or 702/737-7111. Fax
702/894-9954. www.barbarycoastcasino.com. 200 units. Sun–Thurs $39 and up double, Fri–Sat and holidays
$89 and up double. Extra person $10. Children under 15 stay free in parent’s room. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Free
self- and valet parking. Amenities: Casino; 4 restaurants; tour desk; car-rental desk; 24-hr. room service; dry
cleaning; nonsmoking rooms. In room: A/C, TV w/pay movies, dataport, hair dryers, iron and board.
Bourbon Street Value Just a few steps (well, okay, more than a few, but not
by much) down from the main Strip action, Bourbon Street is a bargain. It looks
like a dump, but it’s not. Adequately sized rooms, while hardly comparable to
those in the luxe establishments on the Strip, are surprisingly nice—brighter,
cleaner, and more cheerful than you would expect, with small but sweetly
attended-to bathrooms (including some nice grooming amenities). Given price
and location, it’s a heck of a deal overall.
120 E. Flamingo Rd. (between the Strip and Koval Lane), Las Vegas, NV 89109. & 800/634-6956 or 702/
737-7200. Fax 702/794-3490. www.bourbonstreethotel.com. 167 units. $39 and up standard double; $59 and
up minisuite; $69 and up executive suite. Extra person $10. Children under 12 stay free in parent’s room. AE,
DC, DISC, MC, V. Free self- and valet parking. Amenities: Small casino; restaurant; dry cleaning; nonsmoking
rooms. In room: A/C, TV w/pay movies, safe.