Ah the Silverton. I’m intrigued by the previous reviews of this hotel. Personally if you are basing your stay on these reports then you may be disappointed. I will start with the facts and then move on to my opinion.

By Vegas standards the Silverton is quite small and although it does have its own casino it feel a little like it is only playing at being a casino. It has everything the “big boys” have but on a much smaller scale. As you enter the hotel there is a very large aquarium and if you are unlucky enough you may catch one of the hourly “mermaid shows” that happen here. 3 girls dressed as mermaids swim around pretending to sing to an awful soundtrack, occasionally stopping to gulp down air and try to synch back up to the soundtrack. Amateur is not the word, but at least it is free. Incidentally if you are into motor bikes there are also two “orange county choppers” in front of the aquarium. These are definitely quite cool.

You then pass through the casino and past a bar and it you are lucky you may find the tiny reception hidden away. To be fare I checked in very quickly and the staff were very friendly (as all the staff at the Silverton are – frankly they are it’s main asset) but I have been told it can take hours if it’s busy as there only ever seems to be one person on duty.

I was staying on the 4th floor in a king-size, non-smoking room. The room is pretty large and contains a decent sized TV plenty of hanging and drawer space, a king-size (and very comfy) bed, 2 night stands, a leather sofa, coffee table, writing desk with 2 chairs and a safe and mini bar. The bathroom has a shower and a bath that would be tight even for a child. On the whole the room is well appointed, clean and pretty large. On the down side it is also VERY dark. The carpet is brown, the walls are dark brown, the sofa is brown (getting the picture?) and there is only 1 very small window. It also has one of those awful aircon units under the window that sounds like a jet engine when you turn it on (fortunately I was there in January so I didn’t need it). Then there comes the real problems. Other reviewers have mentioned how quiet the rooms are. I can only assume that they had no one staying within 5 rooms of them in any direction. The first night I was there the room next door had their TV so loud that I couldn’t hear my own TV. This went on until 03:15 am. And then at 05:50am I was woken up by 2 “ladies of the night” offering services at my door!

After a few days I eventually had to buy ear-plugs as the only way to get any sleep. You can hear people snoring 10 rooms away the walls are so thin. I was staying on business so I find this kind of thing especially annoying as I had to be up for work in the morning. Also, the room was non-smoking but I am guessing the rooms either side were not. For those of you that smoke you may not realise just how much it smells and my room reeked of cigarette smoke almost constantly.

The pool was covered over by a large marquee but it was January (although 70+ degrees) so I guess I can let them off for that.

Breakfast in the Sundance Grill is an unsophisticated but rather pleasant affair. The food is actually very good and inexpensive by Vegas standards and the service is very good. Dinner was another matter and after 20 minutes of being ignored by the waiting staff I walked out so I can’t tell what the dinner was like.

The “Hootie and the Blowfish Bar” (remember them?) was quite nice and, unlike the restaurant, the service was very quick and very friendly.

Attached to the hotel (and accessed from within it) is a “Bass Pro” shop. I’d not heard of these before but any Americans reading this probably will have. This shop is enormous, much bigger than the hotel. It’s basically a shop to satisfy the American desire for everything outdoors and especially for killing everything outdoors! I know this is a very British attitude, and I don’t mean to judge, but the site of row after row of hand-guns and rifles makes me feel a little uneasy. However, the Bass pro shop is well worth a 30 min stroll to have a look around. They sell everything from T-Shirts to speed boats. Again the staff were friendly and helpful.

The other big problem with the Silverton (and this really is a very big problem) is its location. It’s a good 5 miles from the strip. This may not sound far but unless you have a car it means it’s completely inaccessible. It’s a $20 cab ride from the airport and if you want to get a cab out of the Silverton, forget it. Because of its location the cabs just don’t go there. I ended up being given a lift by the valet otherwise I would have missed my meeting (again, very, very friendly staff). There is a shuttle service to the strip but it only runs from 10am to 10pm and then only once every 2 hours. It takes 40 minutes to get to the Mandalay bay and only drops off at Ceasers Palace and the Mandalay Bay. Pretty useless really. Also it only has 26 seats and if it’s full that’s just tough. They won’t take you and they won’t lay-on any more busses. I can imagine that being a real problem in the summer.

My biggest gripe, and this is really just personal opinion, is the clientele. I really think they should change the strap line at the Silverton to “The Silverton Casino – Where the dregs of humanity come to play”. For those of you reading this in the UK think a Friday night in a disco in Essex. For those the other side of the pond the expression “trailer trash” springs readily to mind. I also saw lots of children staying there. If you are insane enough to bring a child to Las Vegas, the Silverton is not the place to stay.

To sum up. The staff at the Silverton are friendly and helpful, however this will never make up for its terrible location; its noisy rooms; its lack of facilities and its unfortunate guest list. If you stay here you will regret it. Spend a little extra and stay on the strip. If you don’t want to stay on the strip then try somewhere like the Hampton Inn or the Double Tree. I stayed here because the company I was working for booked me here. If I had paid for it myself I would be very, very disappointed.

Just checked in to the Silverton hotel & casino and am very, very impressed. When I was searching for a "value" option for lodging for my wife and I for 2 nights near the strip, I decided to give the Silverton a try. When my wife learned that we had paid $78.42 total for 2 nights (including all taxes and fees), she was REALLY afraid I had booked us at a roach motel. This place couldn't be further from that. Clearly, the whole hotel was just updated and I while I don't usually go ultra-luxury in Vegas (stayed at the Luxor, Excalibur, Stratosphere, Bally's, Treasure Island, Ceasar's Palace, Las Vegas Hilton, MGM Grand), I can honestly say this room exceeds most and rivals any I've stayed in while in Vegas. They even have pillow-top mattresses. Unbeatable for the price!!!

After 7 yrs living in Vegas, my last night was spent at Silverton. My furniture was loaded to move. Silverton has gone from 1 1/2 stars as Boomtown to now 4 stars as Silverton with the Bass Pro Shop addition and renovations. The gambling is as affordable as old downtown and Silverton became a favorite place for my husband and me. The feel is of a cozy lodge. All rooms are renovated now with the lodge theme. I loved the room I had. (We just booked another visit for Dec 2005)
While it is just south of the main part of the strip, it is very convenient to the airport and practically next to an outlet mall but I would recommend a car or use the shuttle. It's just 2-3 quick miles to the strip. It is also close to a drug store and groceries at Windmill.
I did experience poor service at the Sunset Grill once. The buffet is decent and affordable, service has always been good. The Steakhouse is quite nice and very good food. We have enjoyed great entertainment in the show room with tribute bands. (Elton John's mother attended a performance in honor of her son when we were there). -Avoid rush hour driving.
Don't park by Blue Diamond Rd if rain is on the way. It floods. Read signs.

We had the unfortunate experience of eating at the Sundance Grill. The service was substandard - we barely were served our salad and then our prime rib came. On my meal, the baked potatoe was so cold that the butter would not even melt on it - when asked for another, the waiter brought it, kind of plopped it on the table - it too was cold on the inside. My friend's prime rib was more fat than prime rib. The waiter was not friendly at all. When I excused myself from the table, not feeling well - the waiter asked if I wanted my prime rib packaged up, I said yes - when I left the table - he took my friends plate too - he had not finished eating. Unfortunately, we did not report this to the manager on duty at the time - although tried to resolve it the next day with no satisfaction other than an apology. Just a suggestion - if the meal is bad - ask for a manager immediately - don't settle for substandard service - you are entitled to the best.