Opened in 1971, the Plaza (originally Union Plaza) was built at the head of Fremont Street on the site of the old Union Pacific Railroad Station. At its opening, it was the 'largest casino'. Hard to believe eh? The Plaza has since stayed in an early 70's time warp which, depending on who you ask, can be characterized as a good thing or bad thing. The Plaza was sold to Barrick Gaming Corp in 2004 by noted Vegas impresario Jackie Gaughan. Barrick upgraded the vibe at the Plaza then sold it to Tamares Group who until mid-2010 were absentee landlords. Full hotel renovations of the entire property were unveiled in fall 2011.
Cheap craps, good eats and new rooms full of Fontainebleau leftovers... read our 2011 review.
Bonus: At least they have a sense of humor.
After years of "will they or won't they" the Plaza sunk a ton of money into a major renovation that debuted in fall 2011. All hotel rooms have been completely renovated using furnishings bought at auction from the failed Fontainebleau project. The resulting resort is truly astonishing. Gone is the dank smell, the dirty corners and dickhead dealers (mostly) in its place is downtown Las Vegas' design-on-a-dime equivalent of M Resort. Shocking, inspiring, and one of the best bang for your buck values in all of Las Vegas.
Guaranteed $5 blackjack tables, always an opening. Guaranteed $3 craps, always an opening. Poker, paigow, mini-bac and more. The slots are tight and the pay schedule on Video Poker at the bar also sucks ass. There is a sports book in the back behind the bar as well.
The Plaza completely renovated their hotel rooms in 2011 using furnishings they picked up at auction from the failed Fontainebleau project. The end result is a cache of exciting, modern room designs splayed across a dozen different configurations. We stayed in the "Mini Suite" the day they opened their hotel tower and found the new offerings to be comfortable and fun even if they were still a little unpolished.
The Plaza Mini Suite: The VegasTripping Review 2011.
With the renovations at the Plaza came a whole host of new restaurants including: Cafelatte (Gourmet Coffee, Coffee, Pastries & Sweets), Gigi's Cupcakes Coffee (Pastries & Sweets), Hash House A Go Go (Coffee Shop - Diner), Island Sushi and Hawaiian Grill (Sushi, Hawaiian - Pacific Rim), McDonald's (American, Fast Food), Oscar's (Steakhouse), Subway (American, Deli - Sandwiches), Zaba's Mexican Kitchen (Mexican - TexMex)
setzer posted on 23rd June 2015 :It's kind of cheap and slightly lower-end for downtown, but I tend to gravitate over here for some reason, though. I've never really had any good luck here for some reason. Not the best place, but not the worst, either.
chrisrobbins1980 posted on 16th May 2013 :A lot of potential, but wandering around there at 2 am on a weekday is like being in a graveyard.
Chuckmonster posted on 18th January 2013 :The spiffy renovation might have spoiled the previously disgusting Plaza. This place was great as a grind joint... the glitter and bright lights might show stuff you don't really want to see. Also houses some of the best grinder craps games in town.
JIMMYJDTRUCK posted on 4th October 2012 :NOT IMPRESSED WITH THE MAKEOVER.
ckent32 posted on 14th May 2012 :Old school. Keep it that way, Plaza hotel, if you're reading this.
MikieTaps posted on 13th October 2011 :So, while I did not stay here... I had breakfast at Hash House a GO GO which was phenomenal... hefty portion sizes, great selection, some odd treats on there for sure. I also was here throwing dice for about an hour on Thursday night. It was weird... I was shooting... by myself for an hour. The casino was dead, but the dealers were really fun!
TangiersTodd posted on 10th August 2010 :I haven't been there in three years, before it was shuttered for renovations. The Rat Pack is Back was still there, which is what brought me down. The place was definitely old school and the staff (at the time, in 2008) bent over backwards to accommodate us. Low limit gaming was nice, and a chance to sit in the glass bubble (then a sports restaurant) overlooking Fremont was one of the most memorable experiences I've had in Vegas. We sat at the same table DeNiro and Sharon Stone sat in the one scene from Casino. Awesome. I hope the renovations put this old gal back in the spotlight where she belongs.
atdleft posted on 26th April 2010 :This joint is a dump. There's no getting around that fact. If it weren't for the great grub I enjoy at Firefly, I'd rate this casino lower. At this point, Firefly is THE ONLY redeeming quality of The Plaza.
Ronno971 posted on 2nd May 2009 :Ah, the Plaza.... The Plaza has been trying to spruce things up a bit, but it may be hampering the payouts as well. This is a favorite gambling place of mine since I stay here quite a bit. The staff is usually great. I had a problem for a while with dealers not being able to speak English, but this seems to b e changing.
Lazabout posted on 17th December 2008 :Obviously not top of the barrel, the Plaza is a perfectly reasonable value The last time we stayed for 5 days and the hotel bill was less than the cost of a reasonable room in any other city. The staff seems nice. My biggest gripe is the awkward locations of valet parking and hotel registration. Until you've stayed there once, it feels like you wander aimlessly and magically (if you ride the elevator up) happen upon checkin. I figure at $25-30/ night my right to bitch is severely limited.I read lots of comments about the funny smells, but have found there is a funk-zone in nearly every downtown casino. Nothing like free fruity drinks to add to the upchuck ambience.
beangurl posted on 19th October 2008 :Wanted to stay one night downtown before heading to the strip. Not a bad experience. Room was nothing fancy and hotel staff was courteous. Check in was easy and pleasant.
hugitout posted on 30th November 1999 :Oh the smell. I'll be back if I need a cheap place to stay. Just so you know, the tower of the Plaza was in Back to the Future II as Biff's Casino.
RockChickX51 posted on 30th November 1999 :This is actually NOT a favorite of mine, this is the worst hotel I've ever been in!! This is actually dirtier than I've ever imagined! Bingo with captian 1-900 voice man and long narrow hallways that are so small you'd think the walls were going to close in on you. Like that little room on the Willy Wonka movie. And the smell.....oh the smell.
The trip report is here....http://blonde4ever.yuku.com/topic/33369/Sleep-Tight-Dont-Let-Bedbugs-Bite-Trip-Report-Oct-2015