At the head of Fremont Street sits the Plaza, a high-rise downtown fixture since the 1970s that will probably look familiar to anyone who has ever watched a Las Vegas-theme movie. Julia Roberts and Brad Pitt ("The Mexican"), Kevin Spacey and Helen Hunt ("Pay it Forward"), Rob Lowe and Molly Ringwald ("The Stand" -- had to throw that one in), and many others have been filmed there.

Despite its high-profile location and star-struck history, the Plaza has always been relegated to second- or even third-tier status when considering a downtown hotel. That's too bad, because while no one will ever mistake the rooms or casino for those in the Venetian, you also won't mistake the bargain-basement bill when you check out for the one you get at the Venetian.

The hotel could certainly use some freshening, and it is getting it in places. New carpet is going in here and there, paint has been spruced up, and other cosmetic touches are improving the general look and feel, but consider yourself warned that it still has a way to go. In places -- like the north tower hallways for instance -- you'll see some stains, some scuffs, and an overall shabbiness that may be disconcerting to anyone who is used to the spic-and-span of most places on the Strip. Let me be clear that it is absolutely nothing horrifying, but I noticed it during my visit, and you need to know about it before you stay here.

But really, only the truly picky will be bothered by it, especially since the rooms themselves are in much better shape, as is most of the rest of the hotel.

The main floor is mostly taken up by casino space, of course. As mentioned, parts of it have been redone and more new stuff is on the way. As it stands, it has all of the latest slot and table games, most with very low limits, so if gambling on a budget is important, this should be on your list of options. There is no overreaching theme to the casino, but it is brighter than most downtown casinos and is laid out a little better, also, so those are definite pluses. Besides slots and table games, it's also got a race and sports book, a card room (well, card corner, really), bingo, keno, and players' club.

There's a food court with a Subway, Dyers Ice Cream, McDonald's, Starbucks, and a pizza and hot dog place. Other restaurants include the "Chop-Chop" Chinese buffet (I know ... just pretend you didn't notice), a 24-hour coffee shop, a snack bar, and the quite fine Center Stage restaurant overlooking the Fremont Street Experience.

For entertainment, there's a casino lounge with live entertainment, plus a showroom that I absolutely loved for its straight-out-of-1973 decor. Seriously, it's like Sinatra, or at the very least Joey Heatherton, should be taking the stage any minute. It currently has several shows, including an impersonator and comedy, plus a well-known (at least in Vegas circles) magic act coming soon. No, it isn't the pair with the tigers.

The kidlets or the kids-at-heart can spend a little while in the small video arcade, but they'll probably have more fun at Jillian's a couple of blocks away, so give them a $20 and tell them to be careful crossing the street.

A small but charming wedding chapel is on the second floor, as are meeting rooms and the like.

A large pool and recreation deck spans the roof between the two hotel towers. A pool is very rare in downtown Vegas, and this is a pretty nice one, with plenty of room beside it for lounging. Four tennis courts are adjacent (free for guests, equipment rental available) and a small fitness center (Nautilus weights, a couple of treadmills) complete the recreation portion of the program.

The standard rooms are very standard, but they are bright and very well-tended, both big pluses in my book. They feature two queen beds or one king, a small television with limited cable (no in-room movies, etc.), data ports on the phones, and air conditioning. That's about it. Some have hair dryers, and irons and boards are available through housekeeping, but creature comforts are limited.

The furnishings are older but, as mentioned, they are in really good shape, many coming from a very expensive hotel that was torn down a couple of years ago, so it adds a nice air to an otherwise boring room.

If you can get one facing the Fremont Street Experience you absolutely should -- the view is killer.

Many of the suites have been renovated with plushy, vaguely baroque (think gold leaf), furnishings. There are several configurations, but the one I saw had a dining area, a wet bar, a bigger television, sofas and chairs, and much nicer furnishings throughout.

Now, here's where we get to the part where you're going to want to pay attention (if you haven't been already): The price. The quoted rates are $40 to $50 midweek and $60 to $90 on weekends, but I've seen rates lower than that often. For instance, I saw a special on the Web site that offered rooms as low as $20 midweek! Come on! For $20 you're lucky to get a warm spot on the concrete in the parking garage at most Vegas hotels. There are buffets that cost more than that. I can lose more than on a slot machine in under 20 seconds. You get the idea.

Even if you pay the standard rates, this is still a pretty good bargain for the location. Bargains are getting harder and harder to find in Las Vegas.

The Plaza
1 Main St.
Las Vegas, NV, 89101
(800) 634-6575

Highs: Low price; nice pool area
Lows: Needs some sprucing up in spots; rooms are very basic

Location: 6 -- Right at the head of Fremont Street
Price: 9 -- Very inexpensive
Value: 6 -- For these rates, its hard to complain about what you get
Rooms: 6 -- Small and very basic, but clean and comfortable
Casino: 6 -- Fine, but not one of my favorites
Amenities: 4 -- Room perks are very limited
Facilities: 8 -- Love the showroom
Service: 8 -- Very friendly
Fun: 5 -- Low prices often spell f-u-n in my book
Bonus: 5 -- Did we mention the showroom?

Vegas4Visitors Rating: 63

This Week's Trivia

Q: What five major Strip hotel-casinos will be celebrating the anniversaries of their openings in October? ANSWER

The Weekly Trivia Question is sponsored by the Online Memorabilia Museum at Vegas4Visitors.com

The Full Story

• Fitz Moves Into Top Tier Downtown
• Plaza's Star-Struck History Doesn't Raise Prices
• Outdoor Outlet Mall Needs Roof, Air Conditioning
• Other News: Vegas Hall Of Fame Gets New Members
• Vegas Q&A: What's The Tackiest Souvenier?
• Veags Q&A: Is It Too Early To Book A Room?

In Next Week's Column

Next week: The latest from Las Vegas.

Plus, don't forget to send me your questions about Las Vegas. I've got room for more, so send them in today!

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Rick Garman is the head writer for Vegas4Visitors

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