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| - I don't regularly review hotels, but I'm making an exception since I just came back from a stay here and was pleasantly surprised at how much of it has been redone. The Orleans has been my Vegas home for the past 15 years. It is a hidden gem in Vegas and the perfect place for locals or us SoCal folk to stay while in town. I loved it before the changes and it is so much better now.
The rooms were refreshed a few years ago. Gone are the ugly disgusting carpet and the cigarette smell even in the nonsmoking rooms. There's a 70-lane bowling alley that's open 24 hours a day. There's an 18-screen movie theater that has also been updated to include reclining seats and reserved seating. There isn't much entertainment, but they do have the Bourbon Street Lounge, which has live entertainment most nights.
For food, the buffet has been completely redone and it's excellent now. There's the Prime Rib Loft which has always been decent. The new Copper Whisk Cafe took over the old tired diner-like cafe. Al's Oyster Bar does a decent copper kettle soup. There's also a food court with a Fuddruckers, Sbarro, and Baskin Robbins.
As for gaming, they have a pretty large gaming floor with all the new games. There are some older slot machines, but most of the machine games are modern and switched out as new stuff comes out. There's nothing at the strip casinos that you won't find here as well. I like their table games since they have a lot of blackjack tables, with at least two tables with $5 minimums. Blackjack still pays 3/2.
Overall, this is a great place to stay on a budget or to just get away from the craziness of the strip. Rooms can be had for $40-50 most nights. Parking is free. There's a free shuttle to Gold Coast and Linq. Unfortunately, there's a $7 per day resort fee.
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