Bill’s Gamblin Hall and Saloon is the newest name on the Las Strip. This does not make it the newest hotel, however. Visitors to Las Vegas will remember it as the Barbary Coast. It’s an easy place to ignore. It sits next to the Flamingo, across from the Paris, Bellagio, and Caesar’s Palace hotels and is small in comparison. In fact, on the outside it is only 7 stories, 8 if you count the basement. For those who don;t know, there is a really cool after hours nightclub in the basement that is the best and most popular in Las Vegas.
Like I said, the outside is fairley non-descript and even looks a little old. This is after all, old Vegas. Walking into the hotel itself reveals a small, smokey casino ( like all of them here) with 2 restaraunts jutting off of it. I didn’t try the Steakhouse, but I did try the 24 hour Victorian room. It was over priced and you can definetly find better quality for the same amount downtown at one of the places there.
The casino is quaint, and is full of slot machines and a decent sized area with blackjack and various games of poker. This is very similar when you’re playing poker online. It includes a small sportsbook and has a lounge featuring all kinds of musical acts until 5 am, including Big Elvis during the day. The slot machines here are looser than any on the Strip. I was skeptical of how things would work here, but I was pleasantly surprised. I found myself leaving with more money than I walked in with after a couple hours of craps and slots. Try the progressive machines and the wheel of fortune. They seem to love giving money away.
An elevator ride past the 2 parking garage floors above the casino brings you to 4 floors of rooms. There are approximately 200 rooms here, including several suites. The decor of the elevators and the halls remind me of an old Victorian mansion. The standard rooms, which is where I satyed, were surprising. I was expecting a very small room for the $90/night rate that I paid. What I got instead was a room nicely sized. It even had a brand new flat panel HDTV hanging on the wall. I really enjoyed that the few times I was back in my room. The bed was definetly the most comfortable I have ever had in a hotel. The room was clean, and well stocked with shampoo, soap, and fresh towls everyday, even if I didn’t need them. The view wasn’t bad either. I had a clear view of the Eiffel tower and the fountains at the Bellagio.
Overall, I would definetly recommend this place. It has a character lacking in the other mega hotel-casinos, and the staff was extremely friendly. If you want to save some money and still have a great stay, definetly stay there!
