Ten Reasons to Love the Golden Gate
Blonde4ever shares 10 reasons to love the Golden Gate Las Vegas…
I am a frequent visitor to downtown Las Vegas, and whenever I stand in the middle of Fremont Street, making my decision of where to spend my hard earned money, the Golden Gate is always near the top of the list. I will tell you the reasons why:
1. Like its sister property the D, the Golden Gate has a very generous player’s club. I think their player’s program and marketing flyers are brilliant. I receive many flyers from different casinos, but I always get excited when I see a Golden Gate or a D’s flyer in my mail. They are slick, colourful and chock full of freebies and discounts that I can use on my next trip. With some casinos, you are confused about what you are entitled to, but that is never the case here; it is spelled out clearly in their flyer. I receive free rooms, Freeplay, table game coupons, and some food comps. I am not a wealthy woman, but I love to play as much as I can on my meager budget. The Golden Gate makes it worth my while to play there, which is exactly what a player’s club should do.
2. Their rooms have undergone recent renovations. Some of the rooms are on the small side, but efficient. They have larger suites available if that is your preference. The suites feature pull-out sofas, Keurig coffeemakers, and mini fridges.
3. Du-pars; I feel that more people end up at the Golden Gate because of Du-pars than for any other reason. Du-pars is a charming old fashioned diner that serves up some great food. So far I have only tried their pancakes, but the pancakes alone were fabulous enough to ensure that I am planning a return visit on my next trip.
4. The Golden Gate was the first to serve a fifty cent shrimp cocktail back in 1959. It consisted of a cocktail glass of shrimp with sauce on top. They became famous for this delicious item. In 1991, the price was raised from 50¢ to 99¢. On April 26, 2008, the price rose to $1.99 and in 2012 to $2.99. Sadly the deli counter in the back that used to serve the shrimp cocktail is gone, but they are still available at Du-pars for $3.99.
5. The Golden Gate’s location on Fremont Street is very convenient. You are never more than a few steps from a great selection of restaurants, stores, and other casinos. The thing I love best about downtown is that when you say you are just going across the street, it only takes you three minutes to be at the next casino. On the Strip when I decide to “just cross the street” I am still walking three days later. This is an important thing to keep in mind if you have issues with walking.
6. The history; if you enjoy staying at a hotel with a long and interesting history you will love it here.The Golden Gate is the oldest continuous hotel business in Las Vegas. The hotel opened in 1906 as the Hotel Nevada. In 1907 it was assigned Las Vegas’ first telephone with the number 1. The Golden Gate’s complete history is here.
7. I enjoy the selection of slot machines. I am not very happy with the video poker pay tables, but I notice that the Golden Gate seems to make the effort to have the latest and greatest slot machines on their floor. They mix those in with lots of old favorites so I can always find something I want to play. Sometimes I cringe at the volume of the music, but my desire to play overrides that. I just grit my teeth and bear it.
8. The Golden Gate has attractive ladies dancing on tables, which does absolutely nothing for me, but I hear quite a few men express appreciation of that feature.
9. The Golden Gate does not have a pool or a gym, but you are allowed to use the D’s facilities and just a just a short walk down the street.
10. I enjoy the owners. (Derek and Greg Stevens). I can only think of one other casino where I frequently see the owner on the floor, mingling with the people, shaking hands, clapping people on the back; I love seeing that personal touch.
Visit the Golden Gate to experience a historic casino hotel with a modern trendy touch.
[Images: Michael and Angie Movestro, American Casino Guide, Blonde4ever, Youtube, Daring Penguin]
Bonnie, aka Blonde4ever, is the admin of one of our favorite Vegas forums: LasVegas4ever. She covers a large spectrum of topics from her personal experiences in Las Vegas.
7 thoughts on “Ten Reasons to Love the Golden Gate”
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I like the Golden Gate and The D. Both places are fun to drink and gamble at, but I won’t stay at either one because of the $20 resort fee. Not when I can stay at Main Street Station or The Fremont and get a great room for a fair price without the resort fee.
At Golden Gate, there’s no daily resort fee on comped rooms.
nice, thanks!
I like the GG, I have stayed there a few times, overall things went well. in fact the vertical sign on the corner is my current wallpaper on my cell phone! I really love that rocking sign. I don’t care for the loud music that they and the D force upon you. and I hate the resort fee. I like the décor / theme of both. my one big complaint is the (lack of) offers. I hear or read of many people saying they get good offers and mailers from the D and the GG. I get ZERO! I have checked with both players clubs, to verify that all of my info is current. still, I get nothing. i am not ready to give up yet, but if my play does not warrant any offers, well then that will only encourage me to play less there — right??
Normally I find Blonde’s articles very good but I have to disagree strongly with her this time.
Firstly the D’s players club has to be one of the worst on Fremont, We have NEVER had an offer for anything. As for the GG, I can’t remember when they last installed a new slot machine & the music is so loud now it makes BJ difficult.
Finally Du-Pars has to have the rudest staff on Fremont. Taking away the deli bar was a bad decision.
Thank you for the great review. Because of your well written article, I’ll be stopping in to part with some dough at this fine establishment.
A great craps crew there and $5 tables perpetually.