HOTEL: Great if you can live without things like amenities and luxury. It's a cheap bed for the night. You will not like this place if you expect the following out of your hotel room: plush sheets, space to move around, quiet air conditioning, not being able to hear the person next door and a nice elevator. And you're up to your ankles in water after taking a shower. But if you're like me and just looking for a place to pass out at the end of the night it's great. Not sketchy, lots of security and clean enough. At their super-low prices who cares?
CASINO: Small and the patrons are very well behaved. No riff-raff or 21st birthday jackholes and small enough that you can find your way out easily. The piano player is a classy touch and they have a go-go dancer on the weekends. Dealers are very friendly and helpful and the action can get pretty good. They're pretty loose with the drink comps, play any table and you're boozing on the house.
I don't think I'd try the shrimp cocktail again. Overall the Golden Gate is a very fun place to lose a few bucks and get really sauced. Forget Disneyland -- this is vintage Vegas, when the mobsters ran it all.