I have stayed at the El Cortez a few time now and I have to first state it ain't swanky. Now I have to state join the Players club its the best bang and best comps you will ever get from a downtown casino. The first time I stayed I couldn't find a room anywhere downtown and normally stay at the Four Queens ironically they never ever sent me a bigger comp than buy one room get one free and after one stay at the EC i have never paid for a room again, and gotten slot cash and free food. The hotel is Vintage but not rundown it has recently undergone some serious remodeling to the tune of $25million dollars that doesn't mean all rooms or areas are affected but the Restraunt is alot nicer than it once was and the food has always been good with very very reasonable prices. This hotel maxes the amount of money you can spend gambling by reducing the amount you spend on food, amenities etc. The rooms always have fresh linens, don't smell and very clean, the furniture is older and big the rooms are spacious, some have flat screen tv's some don't. I reccomend this hotel for adults not kids or teenagers. The Casino floor is big and spacious the machines are not pushed together but roomy you never feel like its a smoky even though everyone is smoking unlike the Four Queens they push all the machines as close together as possible to put more in and it always feels smokey. Avoid the pavillion rooms as they are outside in the parking garage, go for the Vintage rooms or Tower Rooms or better yet the new Cabanna Suites that look awesome but I haven't stayed in one yet just took a tour. People are mostly friendly and only once has anyone been some what short with me but I attribute that to my drunkeness(lol). Drinks don't come as often as in other casinos unless the floor is really busy they staff according to the amount of people in casino. The crowd is mixed mostly adults and seniors but on one of my stays I had some great fun with some college kids and they liked the place. The El Cortez is a practical, low cost, high player rewards, somewhat loose slots, good poker tables, place with decently priced hotel rooms I would compare to say a Best Western or Holiday Inn Express but roomier. I have since stayed 5 times and never paid for a room since my first stay I have never paid for food since my first stay as you can use your points to pay for food with players club card. I have stayed three times in a Vintage room once in a Pavillion room and once in a Tower room, so I have seen it all and over the past two years many improvements have been made inlcuding new carpet, new slots, some flat screen tv's, for pay wifi access, restraunt remodeled, and a gift shop was added that has lots of medicinals you might need and not severely over priced to my surprise. Would stay there again and again. BTW my first stay I won' $200 on a quarter slot, my last stay I won $300 on a 2cent slot machine yes they have those there. The new Cabana Suites have a business and fitness center.
