Frommer's Las Vegas 2004

116
CHAPTER 5 . WHERE TO STAY
Note: At press time, Castaways had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and,
though it is still in operation, its prospects—including a transformation into a
Holiday Inn property—had dimmed considerably.
2800 Fremont St. (between Charleston Blvd. and Mojave Rd.), Las Vegas, NV 89104. & 800/826-2800 or
702/385-9123. Fax 702/383-9238. www.castaways-lv.com. 447 units. $129 and up double; $149 and up
1-bedroom suite, $195 and up 2-bedroom suite. Extra person $10. Children under 12 stay free in parent’s
room. Inquire about golf packages. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Free self- and valet parking. Amenities: Casino; 4
restaurants; outdoor pool; tour desk; car-rental desk; limited room service; in-room massage; laundry service;
dry cleaning; nonsmoking rooms. In room: A/C, TV w/pay movies, coffeemaker.
Golden Nugget The Golden Nugget opened in 1946 as the first building
in Las Vegas constructed specifically for casino gambling. Steve Wynn, who is basically
responsible for the “new” Vegas hotel look, took the Golden Nugget over as
his first major project in Vegas in 1973. He gradually transformed the Old
West/Victorian interiors (typical for Downtown) into something more high rent;
marble and brass gleam, and the whole package seems considerably more resortlike
and genuinely luxurious, especially for downtown Vegas. The sunny interior spaces
are a welcome change from the Las Vegas tradition of dim artificial lighting. Don’t
forget their mascot (well, it ought to be): the world’s largest gold nugget. The Hand
of Faith nugget weighs in at 61 pounds, 11 ounces, and is on display for all to see.
If the decor of The Mirage sounds appealing to you and you want to stay
Downtown, come here, because the same people own them and the rooms look
almost identical—in fact, when The Mirage redid their rooms from a beige
palette to a more vividly hued one, the Golden Nugget had the exact same
remodel. In the North Tower, the rooms are slightly larger than in the South
(and also slightly larger than at The Mirage). You don’t have to walk through the
casino to get to your room, but you do have to walk a distance to get to the pool.
During the winter, they put up a pavilion over part of the pool-deck space to
allow for more interior space. The presence of the pool, and general overall quality,
makes this the best hotel Downtown for families; the other Downtowners
seem geared toward the much older set and/or the single-minded gambler set.
The Nugget’s superb buffets and Sunday brunch are described in chapter 6.
Oh, and yes, there is a casino (don’t think they’d forget that!).
The Nugget’s top-rated health club ($15-per-day fee to use the facilities)
offers a full line of Universal equipment, Lifecycles, stair machines, treadmills,
rowing machines, free weights, steam sauna, tanning beds, and massage. Salon
treatments include everything from leg waxing to seaweed-mask facials. Free
Sebastian products are available for sprucing up afterward. The spa’s opulent
Palladian-mirrored foyer is modeled after a room in New York’s Frick Museum.
Note: As this book went to press, MGM MIRAGE sold the Golden Nugget
and its sister hotel in Laughlin to two Internet entrepreneurs for $215 million.
Though some changes are likely to be made in 2004—it’s rumored that the new
owners want to turn the Nugget into a modern version of “Old Vegas”—
specifics are still unavailable.
129 E. Fremont St. (at Casino Center Blvd.), Las Vegas, NV 89101.&800/634-3454 or 702/385-7111. Fax 702/
386-8362. www.goldennugget.com. 1,907 units. $59 and up double; $275 and up suite. Extra person $20. AE,
DC, DISC, MC,V. Free self- and valet parking. Amenities: Casino; showroom; 4 restaurants; outdoor pool; health
club and spa; concierge; tour desk; car-rental desk; 24-hr. room service; laundry service; dry cleaning; nonsmoking
rooms; executive-level rooms. In room: A/C, TV w/pay movies, dataport, hair dryer, iron and board, safe.
MODERATE
Fitzgeralds Casino & Hotel Fitzgeralds recently got a new owner, the first
African-American to own a Vegas casino, an interesting bit of trivia. At this writing,