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| - I really wanted to like the Plaza. It has a solid history and the exterior facade will always take me back to the classic bizarro Hill Valley in Back to the Future II. It has a vintage Vegas exterior appeal that is getting harder and harder to find in Vegas, even Downtown. But alas, the service we received was simply sub-par and the neglect that is still quite obvious to those that look is apparent enough to take the rating down. So, here is my experience and why I opted for a 2/5 for the old Union Plaza...
Let's begin with the good. The rooms have been upgraded and remodeled. Famously, they purchased the furniture and aesthetics from the shuttered Fountainbleu project on the Strip. This allows for high quality beds and furnishings and an updated bathroom. The casino is also updated with plush front desk and chandeliers. The setup of the casino is comforting and welcoming. No complaints there, other than the poker room, which I will get to shortly. The parking situation is easy and the parking is included in the resort fee (Downtown Grand can learn something from them in this regard). The bed was comfortable and the room appeared to be clean.
Having said those compliments, I must now go into the negative:
1. Check in time is 4pm. 3PM is much more the norm here and with the late check in time, my next complaint is even more poignant.
2. The pool closes at 5pm. Wtf? Check in time is 4 and the pool closes at 5? Seriously? On the subject of the pool, it is pretty sad. They have a great large space but they are literally doing NOTHING with it. It us dirty, run down, and the old tennis courts and basketball courts are closed off. They could learn a few things from the Downtown Grand and severely update their gorgeous space that could be so much more than it is and extend their hours to at least 6-7pm!
3. Their poker room is all electronic tables. These are HORRIBLE and have no place in Las Vegas. They belong on cruise ships and other non-staffed casinos outside of Vegas. The Plaza used to have a relic of a poker room. It even spread Pan 9 back in the day. I realize that the poker boom is over, but these electronic tables have got to go.
4. Customer Service: Our keys stopped working after we first checked in. I walked all the way from South Tower to the front desk and got new keys while the family waited. Walked all the way back only to find out the new keys didn't work either. This time we called the hotel from our cel (no house phones on the floor) and they said they would send engineering. After 20 minutes at 10pm at night with my kids sleeping in the hallway, I called again and the person on the other end seemed annoyed and said "I'll call them again." Another 25 minutes went by and an engineer showed up and let us in and said that a new key would be delivered. It never came.
5. The resort fee is a crock and really only covers parking. The two bottles of water and pool usage is a joke, especially since the pool closes an hour after check in time.
6. Upon closer inspection, the room cleanliness was very suspect. The vent in the bathroom is covered in thick dust and the area around and under the bed was quite dirty. Also, I really don't like the sealing off of the balconies. It would have been nice to actually enjoy a balcony view of Fremont Street.
7. The air conditioner is old school single unit. Not central. This is something I expect to see in a motel.
Overall, though the wife and I enjoyed the Beer Garden and had fun in the casino playing Ultimate Texas Hold'em and the super tight slots, I cannot recommend the Plaza other than a stroll under the dome for a classic Vegas photo op in front of Biff's. ;)
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