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| - This was my third stay on the Las Vegas Strip in three years, and, despite a few issues, it was, in many ways, the most pleasant stay so far.
So let's get the negatives out of the way first:
Issue 1: Finding the place. The biggest issue for us (and one that is completely outside the hotel's control) is that Bally's seems to be in the Twilight Zone as far as GPS is concerned. We came into Las Vegas from the south, and the problems began as soon as we exited the freeway. The GPS knew where the hotel was, but didn't seem to know anything about street names or where they were located. We were instructed to turn on streets with names completely different from what they were called on our Garmin, to turn on streets that simply didn't exist...it was totally insane. At one point we had both the Garmin GPS and Googlemaps on my phone going, and they each had different problems! At the end of a long day's drive, trying to navigate around the Strip, with all its traffic, with a constant parade of pedestrians in various stages of inebriation, and with two navigation devices that couldn't seem to navigate, we were totally exhausted by the time we finally managed to find our way into Bally's parking garage. So my first bit of advice to you is, if you plan on staying here, call the hotel for directions and use those rather than rely on your GPS!
Issue 2 (and this may be a deal-breaker for a lot of you): Smoke in the check-in area. If you've been to Las Vegas, you know that there's no way you can avoid walking through smoke-filled casinos, but most of the newer hotels have found ways to keep the smoke from leaking into the other public areas. Unfortunately, the check-in area at Bally's is every bit as smoky as the casino...possibly even more so, as there's no place for the smoke to dissipate. I smoked for 20 years, and am not normally bothered by cigarette smoke (in fact, normally I still rather like it) and it even got to me. If you have real breathing issues, and don't have someone else you can send to the front desk to take care of check-in, you might want to consider one of the newer properties on the Strip (or give Las Vegas a miss altogether).
OK...all that having been said, Bally's has a lot to recommend it. For one thing, to give credit where credit is due, despite the smoke, the check-in experience was about the best I've experienced in Las Vegas. We arrived at around 5:00 p.m., and there was quite a line, but things moved pretty quickly, and the woman who checked us in was both pleasant and efficient. I especially appreciated the fact that we were NOT given the usual Las Vegas lecture about how everything in the room is on a motion sensor and you'll be charged for anything that is moved. It was also really nice that the person who checked us in was able to give us very clear and accurate directions to our room in the Indigo tower (again, not always the case in Las Vegas!)
Our room was, in a word, amazing. Upon exploration, it was clear that is was actually the central common room of a multi-room suite (the doors to the other rooms were locked), but still...wow! It was HUGE! Quite possibly the biggest hotel room I've ever stayed in. In addition to our queen-sized bed, we had a nice, big sitting area, a full-sized dining/conference table, a big flat-screen TV, a small kitchen area with a sink, a microwave and a fridge (NOT a mini-bar, but a real fridge that we could use without worrying about being charged for moving a soda to make room for our milk), a full-sized closet, a vanity area, and a very nice bathroom. Great view, too!
The bed was actually a Murphy bed, but was very comfortable (and didn't squeak, as so many Murphy beds do!).
We were surprised (and pleased!) to learn that we were able to connect two devices to the internet without an extra charge, as part of the unavoidable Las Vegas "resort fee" (that isn't usually the case, and I've often grumbled about having to pay for internet on top of the resort fee). The internet connection was fast and frisky...no problems there!
I have to say that, navigation aside, the location is great...right on the Strip, with an easy walk to wherever you may want to go.
So, is Bally's the place for you? Well, it is clearly an ageing (but well-maintained) property. It can be a bit difficult to drive to, if you rely on GPS. And there is that very smoky check-in area. On the other hand, it's convenient and comfortable, and the friendly staff don't treat you as if they expect you to steal the art off the walls, which is a pleasant change from my other Vegas experiences. Issues aside, I'd stay again.
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