Bill's Gamblin' Hall & Saloon Las Vegas

I'd visited Las Vegas 18 times before deciding to stay at Bill's Gamblin Hall & Saloon (formerly the Barbary Coast) based on highly favorable reviews posted online. For my 19th trip I couldn't be as extravagant as I'd like to (and stay someplace fancy like Wynn, Encore, Venetian or Palazzo) but I also didn't want to go "slumming" at a notorious low budget property like Tropicana or Circus Circus.

The main appeal of Bill's is that it's at the center of the Las Vegas strip, Las Vegas Blvd. at Flamingo Road. The secondary appeal is the low price... I paid $40 per night, which is about half the price you'd expect to pay for any center strip room on a February weekday. (I was there in late February 2010).

When you arrive in your room at Bill's, is when you're really pleasantly surprised.

There's a photo of my $40 room, above. It's a fairly big room (although if you asked for two beds in the room, it wouldn't appear to be so large), clean, and modernly equipped with the flat panel TV and wireless Internet. I thought my room at Bill's was very nearly just as nice as the rooms I've had at Mandalay Bay (the 550DR) and Encore. It's probably the best deal on the Las Vegas strip. (I used to think Mandalay Bay was the best deal.)

My first night there the WiFi was free. The second night, there was a log in screen that asked for $10 per day. I'm not sure if they switched from free WiFi to pay WiFi or if I had logged in to different WiFi's each day. Depending on what room you get, you might be able to pick up numerous WiFi signals from neighboring properties.

The bathroom area is a bit cramped but it's very nice looking and the shower pressure works great, unlike most hotels.

The only drawback to staying at Bill's is that there are two creaky old and very slow elevators serving the guest room floors.

If you're going on a honeymoon or taking a wife or girlfriend on their first trip to Las Vegas,I suggest splurging on top level luxury at a place like Encore, Palazzo, Vdara, or Mandarin Oriental. If you can't quite afford those places, then go to Mandalay Bay. If you're really on a tight budget, Bill's is your best option. You'll get the nicest, cleanest, largest, and most comfortable room at the price level. Bill's is not a luxury property, however. As I mentioned before, there are the creaky old elevators; and the casino has the atmosphere of the downtown casinos (kind of small and noisy) rather than the spacious elegance found in the casinos at Caesars Palace, Mandalay Bay, Wynn, and other luxury properties.

Imperial Palace is probably the most popular center strip property for budget minded travelers. If you've stayed there before, try Bill's. You'll get a much nicer room at the same price.