If you’ve decided you want to stay downtown but haven’t quite settled on where, searching Las Vegas hotels becomes a pretty simple matter. There’s only a few that are actually nice. You can choose from El Cortez, the Golden Nugget, Circa or the Downtown Grand Las Vegas.
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When it comes to Saturday nights in Vegas, downtown is often the last refuge of the price-sensitive scoundrel. I booked the Downtown Grand Las Vegas for a Friday and Saturday May 30 & 31 as it was the most economical of the places I’d actually want to stay.
Those weekend nights ran me a total of $149.92 a night, which is pretty low for the weekend. Prices are lower weeknights. Downtown Grand Las Vegas has an Expedia rating of 8.4. Check the Expedia rates for your dates.
I had stayed here previously and enjoyed it a lot. Seeing the hotel available at that price was a no-brainer.
Downtown Grand Las Vegas Location
Downtown Las Vegas is not particularly large. The hotel is right in the middle of it. If you’re staying downtown you probably want to be downtown and don’t need to be close to the airport or convention center.
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Most downtown properties including the Grand have parking garages. If the purpose of your trip is making side trips to nature areas like one of the national parks then staying downtown is probably the best choice to avoid Strip traffic and access the interstates easily.
Downtown Grand Las Vegas Property
Similar to the El Cortez, Downtown Grand Las Vegas encompasses multiple buildings that would otherwise be separate properties. The various towers here are connected by enclosed foot bridges with the parking garage being a separate structure across the street.
I really enjoy the pool at Downtown Grand Las Vegas. The deck is large and primarily astroturfed, and most of the seating is couches and large plush ottomans. A full bar features shaded tables and food service, as well as self-serve ice water. Being on a second floor rooftop there’s a nice view around the downtown skyline. Latin music plays throughout the area but not so loud that the all-adult clientele is subjected to club vibes.
The bad news is that the club vibes take over after dark. One of the highlights of Downtown Grand Las Vegas is that being set back from Fremont Street means it can be quiet. But during this weekend they were throwing nighttime pool parties for the general public with very loud bass pulsing through all the guest rooms. The parties did end promptly at midnight, so it’s not too bad but knowing about that in advance might have made me reconsider.
Restaurants and Casino
Being off Fremont, Downtown Grand Las Vegas has to work a little harder to get non-hotel guests onto the property. They’ve got restaurants including a coffee bar in the mornings, the casual Freedom Beat with lunch and dinner specials, and Triple George steakhouse. There’s also a Jazz themed bar on site.
The casino is probably the best to play in in all of Vegas from a gaming standpoint. You’ll find the lowest limits here including dollar blackjack. The casino is typically not crowded, meaning you don’t need to wait for a machine or fight for elbow room at the tables. It’s not so great for people-watching but if you just want to gamble in peace there’s no place better.
Nobody can compete with the world class sports book at Circa, but Downtown Grand does have a sports book and the good news is it’s Caesars. No need to mess with Boyd or William Hill. If you already bet with Caesars it’s nice to have a sports outpost downtown.
Downtown Grand Las Vegas Guest Rooms
I booked a Grand King Room which was not ready for a 3 pm check-in. The front desk put me into a Gallery Tower king and acted like that was an upgrade but I’m not so sure. The last room I had here was considerably larger.
At any rate, I like the rooms. They feel more like a normal hotel room than a Vegas resort. This one could have been a personal bedroom at home. There’s plenty of space in the bathroom. It has the half-width glass wall in the shower but water spillage was minimal.
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The lack of a desk is a knock against it but that’s probably not a high priority for most downtown tourists. The chaise lounge was comfortable and the room was cozy overall despite having nothing to offer for a view. A couple could fit here but the room is really ideal for a single person.
About Downtown Las Vegas
Fremont Street is the beating heart of downtown Las Vegas with its pedestrianized promenade and video canopy connecting most of the casinos. It’s a different crowd and a different experience than you’ll find on the Strip. Some visitors prefer it and some hate it.
I like both but frankly downtown could do with a lot fewer homeless weirdos and street performers. There’s a definite trashy vibe flowing through Fremont Street with the only respite being inside Circa or the newly renovated El Cortez.
Being able to go about on foot more easily than on the Strip is great, but outside of Fremont there’s not much to see downtown and much of it is empty and a little dead feeling. The quality of restaurants could really improve as restaurants not connected to casinos are few in number.
Bottom Line
Nighttime pool parties notwithstanding, Downtown Grand Las Vegas is a fantastic property. They could easily charge a premium over places like Main Street Station and the Four Queens but rates are typically among the lowest in downtown.
I’ll keep coming back for sure, and would recommend it to just about anyone. If it’s your wedding night you might want to do it a little bigger, room-wise. But for anyone else this place should be a great fit. Check rates and book today.
