EL Cortez is what it is. Old and kind of gritty. I stayed in the Tower facing strip. The noise from the techno dance club down the street was so loud it rattled the windows, so loud. I complained about that and a dirty room -pretty bad- also guest fighting in hallway- BUT Manager fixed it and moved me to clean room in the morning. So it got better. Plus one can nap for World Peace in Vegas. The Cafe SIEGEL's 1941 was okay food, good service though. I expected old Vegas style but I didn't get that? This place has it's own patina and down town seediness but off the Strip and Fremont St. It is less crowded, old and kind of charming in a wonkie kind of way. Nice Staff and that to me makes all the other stuff no big thing.