I've been to the Cal a few times and it's starting to grow on me. Before, I thought the "real" Vegas was the Strip but my feelings are quickly changing. I guess your tastes change as you get older. Downtown is so much cheaper and everyone is much friendlier (and less annoying). The rooms here are clean and the housekeeping staff is great about addressing any issues. I will warn you that check-in takes a little longer here and I'm not sure why. The people at the front desk are nice, but move very slowly. Maybe it's the laid-back, island atmosphere?
I thought staying downtown would be a hassle because I would need to drive or take a cab to and from the Strip, but it turns out there's no reason to leave! You can gamble here: tables are cheaper, slots are looser and there's Bingo at the Plaza (yes, I'm an old woman at heart)! The Market Cafe in the hotel has awesome, mostly Filipino, food and everything on the menu is really cheap! I wrote a separate review about it on Yelp. They even have Lappert's Ice Cream which is now my favorite brand! It's creamy and has really great flavors like pineapple/coconut, macadamia nut or kona coffee. And again, it's really cheap!
I would stay downtown at the California rather than on the Strip any day!