Las Vegas Hotels

It wasn't really 366-room Binion's, where I stayed in Room 1219, that changed my mind as much as it was the intimate feeling of being downtown.

Binion's, which helped make tournament poker what it is today, has a long, rich history in Vegas.

My room reflected that past. Remember when people smoked and sometimes burned the furniture with their cigarettes? Check. Remember the mauves and turquoise and sea foam greens of an '80s dental office waiting room? Check. Remember when bathrooms were so tiny that the doors had stoppers about knee high to keep them from smashing into the toilet? OK, I don't actually remember that as a style, but it was part of this room.

Yet the king bed was comfy. Plus, I could see Fremont Street Experience from my window. And even though a woman was crawling around on the floor down the hall from my room as I walked in, I felt safe enough. I don't think she was praying. Still, a room for less than $90 a night in Vegas is something to get down on your knees for.

Pros:In the heart of downtown, a more navigable place than the Strip. No huge casino lobby/maze to walk through.

Cons: The room decor was dated, and the TV was so old it could have been a museum piece. The shower wasn't any worse than mine at home, but that's not exactly a compliment.

- Catharine Hamm, L.A. Times Staff Writer (Dec. 2, 2006)