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hoot, even if most of the impersonators look and sound nothing like the folks
they're imitating. And to be fair to the place, there's a decent pool out back that
doubles as a luau spot; as well as the Strip's newest and possibly gaudiest nightspot
Beacher's Rockhouse (it opened in Aug 2006); a very basic spa and fitness room;
the Imperial Auto Collection (p. 136); a handful of bars and cheap restaurants;
and the best tribute show on the Strip (p. 198). But the biggest draw, as I said, is
the price: from $49 to about $100 midweek, $69 to $120 on weekends, even in
high season.
Barbary Coast
55
9
(3595 Las Vegas Blvd. S., at Flamingo Rd.;
$$-$$$$
%
800/634-6755 or 702/737-7111; www.barbarycoastcasino.com; AE, DC, DISC,
MC, V)
was the only one of the “Coast” family of casinos on the Strip until fall of
2006, when its prized position at the famed “Four Corners” of the Strip (it faces
Caesars, Bally's, and the Bellagio) convinced Harrah's to make Boyd Gaming an
offer it couldn't refuse.
As I write this, its fate is up in the air but I'm hoping against hope that the
Barbary will stay the charmer it is. Named for an obscure John Wayne movie and
built in 1978 it boasts a beautifully realized Victorian theme and was completely
remodeled in 2006 (which is why the sale is such a shocker). As you stroll through
the not-too-sprawling, 30,000-square-foot casino there are elegant touches every-
where, from the brass fixtures, to the crystal chandeliers, to the rich oak of the
wainscoting. The casino's stained glass is as magnificent as what you'd see in many
churches. Rooms are just as lovely, many boasting views of the Bellagio fountains,
and decorated in high Victorian style with dark wood headboards and oh-so-
authentic striped maroon-and-white wallpaper. Modern touches include excellent
Serta mattresses topped with fluffy white duvets and 42-inch plasma TVs.
Bathrooms are a bit cramped, and the rooms aren't the largest on the Strip, but I
think their well-thought-out design camouflages much of this. And the prices are
certainly right, averaging $55 midweek off-season, $100 weekend off-season, and
about $80 to $110 weekdays, $140 and up on weekends when the town gets busy.
Unlike many other Strip hotels, children under 16 can stay for free in their par-
ent's rooms (well, they can now; that will probably change when Harrah's takes
charge).
The downside? Because of its small size, there's no swimming pool, just a
handful of restaurants and shops, and possibly the tightest parking lot on the
Strip.
Note:
At press time, word had it that the Barbary Coast was being renamed Bill's
Gambling Hall and Saloon. Apparently the staff and decor will remain the same.
$$-$$$$
Snazzy, large rooms and competitive pricing are the main reasons to
choose
Bally's Las Vegas
5
9
(645 Las Vegas Blvd. S., at Flamingo Rd.;
%
800/
634-3434 or 702/739-4111; www.ballyslv.com; AE, DC, MC, V).
Obviously, it's not
the cheapest option on the Center Strip, but of the mid-priced properties—by
which I mean TI, Paris, The Flamingo, and Harrah's—it's usually, if not always,
at the lower end of the price range. (What does that mean? Good question. I've
tracked prices for the last few months and have come up with a range for Bally's
of $62-$115 at slow times and $120-$215 at other times.) And unlike many of
the cookie-cutter digs elsewhere on the Strip, rooms here have a genuine elegance,
done up in striking shades of gold and periwinkle, with velvet couches and marble
