If you’re planning on going wild in Sin City, the Plaza is the place to be in downtown Las Vegas. The hotel is located at the end of the road of the downtown casino walkway. Hence, it is a perfect doorway to the unforgettable Fremont Street Experience.
Plaza has been the face of downtown Las Vegas for the past 40 years. The casino opened in 1971 and was home to Scorsese’s masterpiece ‘Casino,’ starring Robert De Niro and Sharon Stone. However, after a recent “facelift,” the Plaza embraced a fresh, contemporary look while maintaining the downtown Las Vegas charisma and appeal it’s famous for.
The full hotel & casino renovations in 2011 rejuvenated the Plaza, creating a pleasant, comfortable atmosphere for every guest. Its inlaid mosaic tiles and smooth marble lobby, along with a plush front desk highlight the unmistakable Vegas experience. Plaza provides over 1,000 gorgeous, fully renovated guest rooms, each offering a striking view of the Strip and the Downtown.
The spruced-up casino floor offers a wide range of signature Vegas-style games of chance. Simultaneously, it features a myriad of modern slots, video poker machines, and table games. Additionally, guests can cash in on their sports knowledge in the Plaza’s Sportsbook.
The Hotel
Despite the Plaza being an iconic hotel with a rich history in Downtown Las Vegas, the hotel itself is rarely the main reason people choose to stay here. The location and easy access to Fremont Street are its main selling point.
This isn’t to say that the Plaza Hotel and Casino is bad by any means. The hotel provides an assortment of comfortable, luxurious accommodations. These range from deluxe rooms with breathtaking views to lavish suites that are the epitome of comfort.
The hotel rooms are spacious and clean, with a sleek, modern design and furnishing. Standard amenities include a 32-inch flat-screen TV, a king bed, clock radio, in-room safe, a mini-fridge, a coffee maker, and more. All of the rooms have free WiFi and even have access for people with disabilities.
Notable hotel services include a 70,000-square-foot pool deck, free self-parking, and free drop-off transportation to the McCarran airport. The hotel staff is friendly and genuinely helpful, and the dealers are relaxed, professional, and amiable.
However, there’s one thing to keep in mind here. The resort fees for the Plaza range from $32.00 to $59.00 per night. This is definitely on the high end. So take that into consideration when weighing between the Plaza and other hotels in the city.
Plaza Casino Experience
Although not the largest casino in Vegas, the casino at the Plaza still provides an abundance of thrilling games. The 57,000-square-foot casino floor is home to over 700 slot and video poker machines. On top of that, the casino floor also numbers a total of 23 table games.
Furthermore, the third floor houses a 6,500-square-foot Bingo Hall. Here, you can test your luck and potentially win hefty prizes, away from the hustle and bustle of the casino.
Poker players, on the other hand, will be disappointed to find out that Plaza’s Poker Room is no longer operational. It closed down in 2016, and for good, by the looks of it, which is a shame, really. The poker room was extremely beginner-friendly. It could’ve been the perfect venue for casual players to experience the thrill of playing at a large poker tournament…
Plaza’s Poker Room used to be outfitted with three automated PokerPro tables. Hence, professional poker players and rookies alike could have enjoyed these faster-paced poker games. The touch screen added to speed and convenience, while you were still physically present at the table and could have enjoyed the authentic poker tournament experience. Sadly, poker enthusiasts will have to look elsewhere for entertainment.
And of course, no review of the Plaza hotel would be complete without mentioning the majestic William Hill Race & Sportsbook. Being the oldest race and sportsbook in Vegas, William Hill is continuously abuzz with sports fans cheering for their favorite teams and athletes. After all, there are over 75 wide-screen TVs at William Hill, so you’ll never miss a second of the action!
Slots
The Plaza advertises their slot machines as “loosest in Vegas,” and a lot of the hotel’s guests seem to agree. With 700+ machines scattered all over the casino floor, Plaza beautifully merges the classic coin slots experience with modern, visually impressive slot and video poker machines.
Consequently, the casino has something to offer for gamblers of every make. The nostalgic fortune-seekers can “break the coin jar” and enjoy an array of vintage slots and video poker games. Additionally, among the most popular is definitely the Joker Wild Poker, also known as the ‘loosest’ machine in Vegas, due to its payout percentage of over 100%!
Now, there are a plethora of new & modern slot titles available as well. New machines are periodically added, all featuring stunning HD graphics and unique & lucrative bonuses. The contemporary slots also utilize the TITO (Ticket in/Ticket out) method and offer a truly hassle-free gaming experience.
So if you opt for one of these thrilling machines, you’ll receive a print-out of your payout. Ultimately, you can cash in on your ticket anytime or choose to continue playing a different machine with your winnings.
Moreover, the casino regularly features slots tournaments. Every Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, players have the opportunity to participate in a 777 slot tournament with a $750 prize pool. There are a total of 4 sessions during these days, at 10 AM, noon, 2 PM, and 4 PM. Everyone can participate in all four, with the prize getting distributed between the top 5 players.
As an icing on the cake, the Plaza offers its players a distinct and quite generous Royal Rewards program. Famous for the fastest tier advancement, Royal Rewards provides new players with a generous “$500 on Us” program, as a second chance to win big after an initial slot loss.
Table Games
It would be overly optimistic to call the table games at the Plaza anything else than modest. Sure, the standard games are all there — Blackjack, Craps, Let It Ride, Roulette, and Craps. However, there isn’t a single Baccarat table. Other, more exotic table games aren’t included either.
However, that’s somewhat understandable. The casino’s target audience aren’t hardcore table game players, but rather easy-going people who’ve come here to party and might enjoy an occasional round of Blackjack or Roulette.
Hence, the table limits at Plaza are relatively low, starting with a $5 minimum. Taking everything into consideration, it shouldn’t be a surprise that Plaza doesn’t offer a high-limit room.
Bingo
As part of the $35 million renovations in 2011, the casino floor was expanded to accommodate a vast Bingo room. This is the only Bingo room in Downtown Las Vegas, allowing up to 280 people to participate in six different Bingo sessions each day.
There are plenty of exciting ways to play Bingo at the Plaza and win hefty prizes! Apart from Hotball and Super Bingo, you’ll also have an opportunity to participate in tournaments and even get an opportunity to win the $1,000,000 jackpot in one of Bingo Millions Megaprogressive games.
William Hill Race & Sportsbook
Nestled right next to the South Tower elevator lobby, the William Hill Race & Sportsbook is the downtown’s largest, with 75 flat-screen TVs capturing all the action. Every sports event is covered for comprehensive wall-to-wall action.
The Book is open daily, with the times varying between 8 AM/8:30 AM to 9 PM/10 PM. William Hill provides extremely comfortable seating while offering a great view of the downtown area and easy access to a bar.
Depending on when you book your stay, the Book might even have various promotions or tournaments on offer. So if you intend to bet on sports events, make sure to check out the William Hill website to make sure you don’t miss out.
Moreover, if you only wish to wager on a few games and party away, rather than closely watching every event, you can download their mobile app. It’s quick, easy, and simple to place wagers from your phone, wherever you are in Sin City.
Fremont Street Experience & Plaza Entertainment
The party never stops in downtown Las Vegas! Plaza is an excellent ‘base of operations’ if you plan to frequent Fremont Street and be at the center of the excitement.
From free Rock shows to must-try adventures like the Slotzilla zip line and the Walking Dead themed survival experience which combines an escape room, a maze, and interactive gaming — you won’t have the time to get bored.
When you (eventually) make it back to the hotel, there are plenty of interesting activities you can participate in. Among other events, Plaza often hosts pickleball festivals, alongside Las Vegas Days Rodeo, UFC viewing parties, and more.
Once you’re all out of energy, you can recharge your batteries at the Spa & Fitness center. As part of the 2011 renovations, the Plaza invested a decent chunk into turning their fitness center into a world-class facility. Moreover, they’ve joined forces with the Real Results Gym to provide their guests with 5,000-square-foot gym space.
The daily fee for using the gym is a mere $25. On the other hand, if you wish to book a relaxing full-body massage, you must book it at the fitness center in advance. The options are 30 or 60-minute sessions.
Wine & Dine
There are plenty of exquisite dining options at and near the Plaza where food connoisseurs can enjoy anything from perfectly aged stakes, masterfully prepared over a 600° grill, to unique, intriguing, and borderline weird, yet incredibly delicious dishes.
What was once the Center Stage is now the Oscar’s Steakhouse — a must-visit restaurant under the Plaza’s iconic glass dome. The steakhouse is a legacy of the former Sin City mayor, Oscar B. Goodman. Moreover, the space is adorned with memorabilia from Goodman’s 12-year tenure and photographs that captured some of the most fascinating moments of the city’s vibrant history.
So if you’re a fan of oversized portions and are brave enough to try one of the “twisted farm food” specialties, you can easily hop over to the nearby Hash House A Go Go. Every meal at the Hash House is made from the freshest ingredients, allowing you to fully savor their rich taste with every bite.
Aside from these two, there are plenty of other dining options in the Plaza’s food court. These include the Brightside Breakfast & Burgers, Pop Up Pizza, Manchu Works, and even McDonald’s and Starbucks. So whether you’re prepared to dedicate a few hours and have a long, relaxing, quiet dinner or are looking to grab a burger on the go and keep the party going — there are plenty of fantastic options available.
Summary
Largely thanks to the hotel’s location, the Plaza is a perfect gateway into the wild, crazy, and thrilling world of the Downtown Las Vegas. There’s an overabundance of otherworldly venues and sensational events, that you might find it difficult to decide where to go and what to do first. In that sense, Plaza is perfect for party-goers who won’t spend as much time at the hotel.
The hotel itself is decent and offers plenty of beautifully decorated, clean, and spacious rooms. Still, it’s nothing that would immediately blow your mind and make you go “Wow!” in excitement.
Plaza’s staff is genuinely nice and will put in extra effort to ensure your stay is comfortable and enjoyable. However, if you intend to use the hotel merely as a place to sleep and spend a few hours a day at best, the resort fee might seem unreasonably high.
Moreover, the casino does feature a nice selection of games, but some table games are strangely absent. It’s evident that it caters to casual players who want to enjoy a bit of harmless fun, rather than high rollers who feel the thrill only while wagering $1,000+ per hand.
So is the Plaza a good choice for your Vegas trip?
Honestly, it depends on what you’re looking for. If you’re imagining a pristine hotel and a casino that houses every game of chance imaginable, then you should take a look at other hotels, preferably near the Strip.
On the other hand, if you want to party away, it’s not a bad choice. Also, you might love Bingo or are leaning more towards sports betting, rather than traditional casino games. If that’s the case, Plaza is a perfect choice.