Off Strip Resorts?

chrisandmeg2013

So we've stayed on the strip quite a few times. Everything is pretty much "been there, done that" at this point. We'll be getting married on the strip, but plan to come back for our anniversary trip and we are considering staying off-strip. I'm kind of getting sick of how ritzy the strip is getting, and now CET properties have added resort fees....just turned off by the whole thing.

So what would you recommend? The times I've ventured to offstrip casinos, they just don't compare.

Vegasgroom - I know you've said good things about Golden Nugget (is that right?)...care to elaborate?

mbenoit03

we scouted Tuscany Suites & Casino last Dec. the property is nice and lots of greenery and well maintained.  the rooms are fairly large, we booked there 2 bdrm suite for the wknd of our wedding. check out the website the images are genuine. most hotels will have a resort fee, here its $14 a nt but if you have a group staying it it possible for the hotel to waive this fee let me know if you have any questions

vegasgroom

I love Golden Nugget; we've stayed there the past three or four times now.  They treat me far better for my level of play than the strip resorts, they have great restaurants, great pool and the dealers seem to be a lot more cheerful compared to the strip.

The caveats to staying there or just downtown in general:

1) GN doesn't have a resort fee, so if you want internet or gym, you're going to be paying for it unless you get it comped.  The gym is not priced all that reasonably, I think it's like $22/day.  I go most days to work off the booze but I get comped so it doesn't really make a difference to me, just seems expensive; it does come with a locker, spa and sauna access, fruit and fruit juices, etc. so it's not like you're just getting access to a room with weights in it.

2) I only like their Rush Tower suites or their two story Spa Suites.  The two other towers have not been refurbished in many years so they're pretty old and it shows.  The A/C is far better in Rush and Spa; the old towers still use the good ol' wall units.

3) You're downtown; some love it, some hate it.  I love it; has a whole different vibe more like old Vegas.  There will be random homeless people walking around Fremont, but, not so much on the porn card slappers like you have on the strip.  I actually miss that lol, I always collect the porn cards.  A few other things about downtown:

a) The shows are not as good or as varied.
b) The gambling is typically better, for example, much easier to find a 3:2 black jack game where on the strip that's nearly unheard of these days for single or double deck.  Craps you may find higher allowed odds.
c) If you have things you want to do on the strip, well, you have to get there somehow and the bus is cheap but really really sucks.  Cabs can get expensive.  So I typically rent a car; there's a Budget right in Golden Nugget and a compact tends to be about $40 to $45/day.  We always go back to Mix where we got married, typically N9NE for dinner a different night and at least one show, and shopping at Caesars, so I usually plan all our strip visits back to back so we can get by with a two day rental.
d) Night life.  There's really just two night clubs worth going to within walking distance; Gold Diggers at GN and Insert Coins which is a fun video game-based nightclub but it gets more into club mode after 10pm.  These are not like the strip mega clubs though, so you're not going to run into big name artists, etc. there, they're probably similar to what you'd find in any mid-sized city's night life district.  I'm happy enough with them most of the time but sometimes we go up to the strip by cab if I'm in a clubbing mood; I like Lavo for old school Wednesdays and Pure for EDM.

vegasgroom

Oh yeah, and while many downtown casinos have better odds, watch out for the slimy ones that don't.  For example, "Fremont Casino" has craps tables that only allow two times odds on 8 for example, when I'd normally bet 5x odds or more.

Hoosierseed

I would suggest somewhere relaxing and away from the bright lights of fremont and the Strip. I would look into M Resort, Red Rock Resort, or Green Valley Ranch.  They all three offer shuttles to the strip, but the resorts are far more relaxing. Plus, they all have awesome pools, spas, and still have casinos if it interests you. 

jlschell

I agree about Green Valley and Red Rock.  We have stayed at both places and at many of the strip casinos and they are just as nice.  You should definitely check them out!

chrisandmeg2013

Thanks for all the info! I'm nervous to stay off strip, since I know what I like on the strip, but it would be nice to try something new!