I will have to confess that staying in luxurious casino hotels isn’t the thrill it was for us when we were younger. I remember 25-30 years ago, back when we were in our Riviera-Westward Ho-Stardust-4 Queens-Frontier days, that when we occasionally got a free room offer from a more upscale Strip property like Caesars Palace, we were really excited. It was a real treat that we enjoyed to the fullest. We checked in as early in the day as we could and got the latest check-out they would give us.
Getting older changes you, and the been-there-done-that makes you become a little jaded. We often have a suite, sometimes with more square footage than our cozy condo. Recently we stayed in a suite that had a baby-grand piano in it! The toiletries are luxury branded. The frig is often filled with free soft drinks. The goodies on the table may include gourmet cheeses and crackers and expensive candies or even chocolate-covered strawberries. You can open and close drapes with just the touch of a button. You can watch the TV in your bathroom mirror while you are primping, choose from a variety of water experiences in the shower, or lounge in the Jacuzzi complete with a bight yellow rubber ducky friend.
So what do we do most days now when we have a free room in Vegas? We often put in our several hours of play first and then wander up to the room about 5 or 6 p.m. We gather up the toiletries and amenities that are portable and put them into the small nylon expandable bag I always carry in my big purse. We sample the food items that are too messy to put in a bag and leave the rest for a hungry maid. And then we are back down the street in a few minutes to our cozy condo where we will take a swim in the pool right outside our door, eat a light heathy meal, and then snuggle down in our own comfortable bed.
We do like to check out rooms in new or remodeled casino hotels. And sometimes we do stay all night or at least lie down and take an afternoon nap there to see how comfy the beds are. Recently we had a couple of nights at the new Cromwell. We wanted to compare this to our stay in that corner building, perhaps 25 years ago. Then we loved the dark red heavy fabric décor of the Barbary Coast. It was like sleeping in a Roaring 20’s movie set – so romantic! Although the Barbary Coast building seemed to be completely gutted while we were watching it being rebuilt, the Cromwell rooms seem to be about the same size as we remembered them so long ago, quite small compared to some we have had in newer Strip hotels.
The size of the room didn’t bother us. Friends have said they felt claustrophobic in them but we like small and cozy. And the décor reminded us a little of the old Barbary Coast. There weren’t the heavy tapestries, but it gave the same low-light elegant feeling. This time it was dark wood and dark leather – what I call the classic-library look, with a checker-board set up on the table in front of the sofa. It’s definitely a change from the light and airy atmosphere of many of the updated casino hotel rooms these days, but I sometimes tire of modern décor that seems almost hospital- sterile. It was nice to be surrounded by warm and comfy, not old-fashioned to us but pleasantly nostalgic.
Please send a trip report (if possible0 about the new Linq. I tried to check out an online map but I couldn’t figure out the difference of the Linq hotel and the back section labeled the Quad.
I also saw that Ghirardelli’s is suppose to be located somewhere on that walkway but couldn’t find it on the map of businesses either.
MO
Thanks for the info of the Cromwell.
I did love the Barbary back in the day and the employees that we got to see each year were always so friendly.
I hope to see the new casino later this year but the rooms are probably are booked up until at least January.
I read that the same is true with the new restaurant.
MO
Was the noise from the pool party a problem.? I know it is a BIG problem for the Cromwell side of the Flamingo and Bally’s. We were given ear plugs with our keys to our room in the South tower at Bally’s. We were going to be there for 4 nights so I was worried. We checked out the room and it was gorgeous! However we asked everyone we saw coming off the elevator and they all said it was awful until about 3am. Only the guy who was staying on the 73rd floor said it wasn’t bad and he was on the Cromwell side.we opted for our usual room 2035 and were so glad we did. We would have been on the Paris side, which is supposed to be quieter but the Paris pool party still goes until the wee hours. I just can’t understand this new trend of attracting loud drunk people and disturbing hundreds of paying hotel guests in multiple hotels at once! My host at Ceaser’s Ent. Says the Cromwell makes lots of $$ with that party scene. Would love to hear your comments on this trend!
P
I’ve had two or three offers from Caesar’s to stay at the Cromwell, so I appreciate the description.
I guess I’m at the age where I have a “comfort zone.” That means I tend to stay at Harrah’s. I know the rooms need work, and my host has independently said so. But I almost always get a suit, which I would not get at some of the more upscale Caesar’s properties. I’ve stayed at Caesar’s a number of times, but with one exception I’ve had to walk a mile to get to the casino and restaurants. So, I appreciate a suite where I can literally take the elevator down to within a few feet of the Diamond Room, and to within 50 feet of the casino.
I just got an offer for five free nights at the newly renamed “Linq” (Quad), and I might check it out on my next visit to at least see what the rooms look like. They don’t always look like the photos!