text: After my nightmarish evening at the Plaza Hotel and Casino see my review of that fleabag I checked into the Golden Nugget and could not have been more happy For about more a night the difference was staggering nnFirst the casino lobby and elevators have been beautifully restored and are clean and fresh smelling The checkin staff was not overtly friendly but still very polite and respectful The offer of bellboy service was made but in the age of rolling luggage who needs thatnnI was not expecting much from my Gold Tower room but was delighted to see how spacious and luxurious it was Amazingly comfortable bed nice furniture giant flatpanel television minisafe for valuables etc The entry area was marbled with the balance of the room carpeted Everything was immaculately clean and the room was fresh smelling but not laden with cleaning chemicals or disinfectant The bathroom was smallish hey this is a very old building but again it was beautifully restoredmarble tile elegant sinkcounter shower with curved curtain rod and great water pressure etc The commode seemed to be rocket powered WiFi internet access was a bit pricey at a day but it worked well and was very speedy Now none of this was a fluke as each of my three friends had rooms that were virtually identicalnnIf I had to say anything negative about the room it would be that sound isolation is not terribly good It is not that I could hear people through the walls but sounds in the hallway doors slamming people walking etc definitely seemed quite loud Again this probably just goes with the territory in an older building No big dealnnThat evening my friends and I took a quick dip in the pool and had fun swimming up within inches of the giant fish and sharks in the central aquarium It was fascinating to be so close to these beautiful animals Afterwards we soaked in the jacuzzi for an hour or so to unwind before going out to dinner The pool staff was attentive and helpfullots of clean high quality towels were provided and the wait staff was quick to bring drinks aroundnnWe spent a fair amount of time in two Nugget bars I wish I could remember the name of them The first has a large balcony that hangs out over Fremont Street and it is a great spot to do a little people watching The second is a circular arrangement with the bar in the middle and it had the most amazing band playing there Just four piece guitar keyboardistvocalist drums bass but they sounded huge their level of musicianship was tremendous and the singer really knew how to work a crowdnnHonestly I had no idea that downtown Vegas had a hotel of this caliber When traveling for work I usually stay at the Bellagio Now the Nugget is no Bellagio but you know whatit is really not too far behind Anyhow I definitely recommend this hotel to anybody who wishes to enjoy the old school Fremont Street scene