After my nightmarish evening at the Plaza Hotel and Casino (see my review of that fleabag!) I checked into the Golden Nugget, and couldn't have been more happy. For about $15 more a night, the difference was staggering! \n\nFirst, the casino, lobby and elevators have been beautifully restored, and are clean and fresh smelling. The check-in 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 that!\n\nI wasn't expecting much from my Gold Tower room, but was delighted to see how spacious and luxurious it was! Amazingly comfortable bed, nice furniture, giant flat-panel television, mini-safe 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 restored...marble tile, elegant sink/counter, 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 $12.95 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 identical.\n\nIf I had to say anything negative about the room, it would be that sound isolation is not terribly good. It's 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 deal.\n\nThat 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 helpful...lots of clean, high quality towels were provided, and the wait staff was quick to bring drinks around.\n\nWe 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's 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, keyboardist/vocalist, drums, bass) but they sounded huge, their level of musicianship was tremendous and the singer really knew how to work a crowd.\n\nHonestly, 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 what...it's really not too far behind! Anyhow, I definitely recommend this hotel to anybody who wishes to enjoy the \"old school\" Fremont Street scene.