Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The Joys of Convention Center Drive
Who knew? Convention Center Drive, that somewhat dreary street abutting
Las Vegas Boulevard, doesn't look like much, but it's a hidden oasis for
genuinely friendly, well-maintained budget accommodations. Because the
street ain't all that long, it's easy to stroll from your room to the Strip
itself, meaning you don't need a car to stay here. In fact, it's convenient
to all areas of the Strip via the monorail at the nearby Convention Center
station.
My favorite along the block is the
Somerset Motel
555
(294
Convention Center Dr., between Las Vegas Blvd. and Paradise Rd.;
%
888/
336-4280 or 702/735-4411; AE, DC, V, MC;
$
-
$$
).
No it's not fancy, and
it's pretty old fashioned—they don't even have email or a website!—but
you gotta love that great googie architecture, with the vintage star-speck-
led sign out front. Also adorable, really, are the prices, which are among
the lowest in town and don't jump up precipitously when there's a con-
vention nearby. Instead, you'll
always
pay $40 to $49 for a Sunday through
Thursday stay, and between $49 and $60 on weekends; those with a AAA
card can shave $5 off those prices. Call direct to get the best rates.
So what do you get for those sums? First up is a warm, warm welcome
from the grandmotherly women who run the place and keep it feeling like
that proverbial home away from home. Most of the rooms were renovated
in 2006, and about half have kitchenettes (for which there's no extra
charge; ask if you want one). They're pretty nifty now, with quality mat-
tresses, new TVs, huge closets, and cheerful royal blue and gold curtains and
bedspreads. Free in-room movies are offered on the TVs on a daily basis;
you'll be handed a schedule of what's showing when you arrive (it's usu-
ally a mix of vintage and current releases). There's only a small pool on
renovations over the last decade which have, interestingly, been used not to
remake the hotel (though there's been a bit of that), but to restore much of its
original beauty. The chandeliers glisten again with fine crystals, though these
aren't the originals from 1952, these are new, if old-fashioned looking beauties.
The kitschy Arabian carpeting and Islamic detailing have been restored, and while
the place doesn't look swank, you feel like you get a better sense here than at the
other older casinos on the Strip of just what it might have been like to visit when
Sinatra and Sammy Davis, Jr. owned the town. Guest rooms, too, are not fancy
by any means, but cute and comfortable with '60s-style furniture and fun, campy
touches such as camel lamps and Aladdin chairs. They're kept spotlessly clean and
constitute a good buy at between $50 and $170 per night for a standard room. I
have to say, too, that I really like the staff here. I asked one of them about the
unusually friendly service, and he said simply “We're family owned and it's a very
nice family. We're not behind the corporate veil here. People are really motivated
to do good by their customers.”
