Readers, I spent four nights at the "ElCo", from 22-25 June 2008. I used the "Buy 1 night, get one night free" coupon from the American Casino Guide, for a Sunday arrival. I reserved a Vintage room for these four nights, because the telephone clerk told me that I could add Tuesday and Wednesday nights at the "Casino Rate" ($22 per night). FOUR nights, $74 total, before taxes. Wow!! To make it even better, at check-in, I received a voucher for two FREE nights in September!

I arrived at 1PM on Sunday afternoon. I was delayed THREE times at the front desk, before I was given a room at nearly 3 PM. This delay was the only problem I had at the ElCo. I did not use the $20 bill trick, because I did not think there would be any advantage among the Vintage rooms.

I moved into a room on the top(5th) floor of the Pavilion rooms. This room was VERY large! It was extremely clean, and the bed&bathroom were massive. YES, the Pavilion rooms are in a combination tower and parking garage, but I was very impressed at how well this worked for me! Since I drove to Las Vegas this time, I parked my car on the 4th floor, and my room was just upstairs, a few steps away! The elevators directly into the casino were fast and convenient, opening about 30 feet away from the restaurant.

The casino is clean and innovative, with excellent table games, new slots machines, and even vintage coin-in slot machines! The blackjack games are the VERY BEST that I have seen in Las Vegas...single-deck pitch game, with 3:2 blackjack, and a $5 minimum! The Sports&Race book is clean, large, and fully-equipped; I watched five baseball games at the same time!

There is Texas Hold-Em around the clock, sometimes with $20 buy-in! It's always easy to get into a game, with a wide variety of player quality.

The food is very good. Careful Kitty's is a 24-hour diner, and there is also a breakfast buffet/Chinese food buffet. If you prefer, there is also a Subway. My favorite food, though, was at the small Pizza/Lasagna restaurant diagonally across Fremont Street. Two large slices of pizza and a Diet Coke for exactly $5.

The location is convenient. Two blocks from the highway interchange, two blocks down Fremont Street from the Fremont Street Experience canopy, and adjacent to the neon relics of the new Fremont East zone. If you prefer a serious slice of low-rollers, you can look two blocks east to the Western Hotel&Casino.

The shortcomings of the ElCo need to be noted. There are no stage shows, but there is a piano bar. There is no swimming pool, and the customer base is very old. This casino is definitely running exactly as it did in the 1960s, only with upgraded air quality. This is an adult establishment, for gamblers. If you need to stay in a hotel filled with "hot bodies", fire up the credit card to the tune of $200 per night and stay at the Rio, Palms, or Hard Rock. I'll prefer the Rat Pack-style casino at the ElCo.

I will return to the ElCo. If readers need to ask questions, contact me at

DrGPadgett@ms.metrocast.net

with "Las Vegas" in the e-mail title.

Gene Padgett!
Starkville, MS

We stayed at the El Cortez from June19 thru 22. We had a tower room, upon check in I had asked for a corner room,but they had none available. We requested a roll away bed because my daughter had a slight mishap and sparined her ankle, so the bed was free of charge, they also provided a wheelchair , but in the casino and cafe only.
We were in room 509, very clean 2 beds, a sofa, we needed a fridge , that was brought up right away. the Bathroom ( a little small for 4 women ) but adaquate!.
The TV was not a flat screen, but it was big, there was a desk also, which we used for a vanity table.
The Air was EXTREMELY COLD, but after walking in the sun, it was refreshing to come into the room.
The only complaint we had was on check out day, there was very little HOT water.... other than that, our stay was excellent.
The ElCortez Staff was professional and friendly, everyone was courteous and asked us if everything was fine. My sister was given a free enrty for the slot tournament and she ended up winning $100.00.
We played on the Roulette tables for a long time and we even learned how to play craps there and we won! It was great!
We did eat at Kitty's cafe, the portions were huge and we used a coupon from the fun book.
We also drank at the bar in the back by Kitty's, the Batender was from Brooklyn..... He made my sister a drink for her Birthday, and he was very amusing and friendly, we sat there for at least an hour.
Overall, We will back to the El Cortez., the location and the price and just the overall freindliness of the staff is remarkable.

Me and my sister stayed at the El Cortez for a few nights in March this year. Overall the hotel was ok, just what you would expect for the price you pay.
The rooms are spacious and clean. Ours had lovely views of the hills. Only downside was that there was no hairdryer and we had a room close to the lifts so it was very noisy.
The lobby and casino area were ok. Looked pretty old fashioned and full of old people so if you are under 50-60 you will feel a bit weird. Didn't bother us too much though as we only used the hotel to sleep in and not much else.
The area around it was ok. It is a good bit away from the strip but if you have a car it's fine and there are also frequent buses running. You also have a good few bars and 'very important for us' a starbucks 5 minutes walk away.
I would recommend this hotel if you just look for a cheap place to stay while in Vegas or if you are over 50. If you are in your 20s, like us, and looking for a cooler Vegas experience then spend the extra few bucks and book a room on the strip.

My husband & I booked a week's stay at the El Cortez, just a block from the Fremont Street experience. I was skeptical about staying in downtown Vegas, but I can honestly say I had no reason for doubts. From the bell service as soon as we arrived, through our last day's checkout, we were treated like old friends & valued customers, even though this was our first stay there. My husband even got to play poker with the owner! The casino smells fresh & is breathable when you walk in, despite the smokers - something unique, in my experience. We had a jacuzzi suite, which would have gone for much more on the Strip - but you have to call the hotel to get one. They've been reserved in the past for high rollers & pit bosses. It was a great value at $125 for a weeknight. They've just recently been made available to the public & I'm so glad we booked one!! Everything about this smaller hotel & casino was clean, friendly, value-oriented (the players' club is defeinitely worth joining) & focused on customer service. This will definitely be our place from now on!