Why You Should Visit Plaza Hotel Las Vegas

Are you planning a trip to Sin City? There's the world-famous Las Vegas Strip with its glitzy mega-hotels that everyone has heard about, but there's also downtown Las Vegas with all of its history. That's where you find the Plaza Hotel Las Vegas, an iconic property that been a part of downtown Las Vegas history since 1971. It offers a more "old school," traditional Las Vegas experience and a plethora of fun amenities - plus lots of adventures and entertainment nearby at the Fremont Experience, a four-block attraction offering a variety of free concerts and events, and Downtown at large. Take a gamble and win big with a stay at the Plaza Hotel Las Vegas!

The Plaza Hotel Las Vegas is a historical icon in downtown Las Vegas near the Fremont Experience. Built in 1971, it was a classic celebrity haunt that helped establish Sin City as a town of glitz and glamor. When it first opened, it was the largest hotel and casino in the world. According to rumors, the hotel is haunted either by a former stagehand who committed suicide or by the famous Houdini!

Even with all its history, the Plaza Hotel Las Vegas certainly isn't stuck in time! In 2017, the hotel unveiled three cool street art murals on its North Tower by Shepard Fairey, D*Face, and artist team Faile who paid tribute to Cassius Marcellus Coolidge and his “Dogs Playing Poker” paintings.

Today, the hotel boasts 1003 guest rooms. They feature marble bathrooms and start at $29 a night. Room types range from basic Deluxe Rooms and Deluxe Rooms with Views (of Fremont Street or the Las Vegas Strip) to Mini Suites and Penthouse Suites. The latter feature Las Vegas skyline views, are situated on the top floor, and are designed loft-style, boasting a Jacuzzi tub, bar, and refrigerator.

All rooms feature standard amenities such as 32-inch flat screen TVs with premium cable channels, in-room wireless Internet, combination safe, hair dryer, and a Keurig coffee maker. As far as special requests, you have the option of requesting a high floor with a view (of the mountains, Fremont Street, or the Strip), a smoking room, a rollaway bed, connecting rooms, and/or a crib.

With so many options for fun and relaxation, you won't want to stay in your room during your visit. The casino awaits with 57,120 square feet of space with 600 slot machines, over 400 bingo seats, and 18 game tables. There's also the pool scene, with a 70,000 square-foot pool deck, hot tub, pool bar, pickleball and tennis courts, cabanas with full service, and a seasonal food truck.

If you want to keep that body in perfect shape to mingle at the pool or impress at the game tables, hit Real Results Gym, which offers traditional workout equipment and one-on-one personal training.

As far as meeting spaces for weddings, corporate events, conventions, or photo shoots, you can choose from the 19,000-square-foot ballroom or 70,000-square-foot rooftop pool. Professional event planners and expert caterers will help you plan either a grand or intimate affair, depending on your needs.

There are a million reasons to visit the Plaza Hotel Las Vegas. Here are eight at a glance, explained in detail below. Baby needs new shoes!

The Plaza Hotel Las Vegas is conveniently located right in downtown Las Vegas near the Fremont Experience. Freemont Street is the most famous street in the Las Vegas Valley aside from the Las Vegas Strip. You’re close to free shows and concerts, over 800 bars, the SlotZilla Zipline, and much more.

"A Mob Story" is a tribute to the history of how the Mob made Vegas, all set to music and dance. It features rats and racketeers, movie stars and mistresses, hit men and wise guys. The show unfurls as told by the former Colombo crime family capo, Michael Franzese, the last Godfather and one of the most impressive earners the mob had seen since Al Capone. Ex-Las Vegas mayor and mob attorney Oscar B. Goodman is an ambassador of the show with guest appearances.

The Plaza Hotel Las Vegas offers Nevada’s only million-dollar bingo game this year! It’s home to the only bingo room in downtown Las Vegas and the highest payouts in the Valley. Their bingo room welcomes players of all ages for their six daily games and hundreds more for their Super Bingo events.

The glamorous Oscar's Steakhouse, the "Happiest Steakhouse in the Universe," is located in the iconic glass dome of the Plaza Hotel overlooking the lights of Fremont Street. It was named after former Las Vegas Mayor and mob attorney Oscar Goodman. Visiting the steakhouse is like taking a trip back in time. It pays homage to "old school" gangster-era Las Vegas with memorabilia displays, a classic ambiance, and the mayor’s signature martini. Enjoy perfectly aged steaks cooked over a 600-degree grill.

The Plaza Hotel Las Vegas is the place to play downtown, with its 80,000-square-foot casino floor, which is also home to downtown’s largest race and sports book with 75 flat screen TVs. (While gaming revenue downtown went up by 18.2 percent in the first quarter of 2017, the Plaza experienced a boost of 25.6 percent!) Gaming options include a wide variety of slot machines, new hi-tech roulette with the latest LED gaming surface technology, and a new Keno lounge with games every 5- to 8 minutes, plus Mega Keno and Mega 10 Keno.

The Plaza Hotel Las Vegas features three cool and Instagrammable murals. One is by the graffiti artist Shepard Fairey titled "Cultivate Harmony." It covers a 21-story tower, making the Plaza the tallest building Fairey has painted in Las Vegas. The artist says it’s meant to "remind people that peace and harmony with each other and the planet itself are the only way to maintain what sustains us." Another is by by D*Face - "Behind Closed Doors" is his largest and also his fifth mural in Downtown Las Vegas. The third one is by FAILE, a Brooklyn-based artistic collab, who did their largest mural in the word here. It's an homage to Cassius Marcellus Coolidge, an American artist famous for his paintings of "Dogs Playing Poker."

Rates here range from less than $30 a night for a Deluxe Room to around $50 a night for a Mini Suite. That's less than a night in your average roadside motel by the freeway!

The hotel also houses The Plaza Royale Wedding Chapel and Florist for affairs of up to 50 people. If you're interested in tying the knot, their packages feature photos, flowers, a live musician to play the white baby grand piano, and more (even Elvis!) and vary in price.

The hotel is in a prime location with easy access to a lot of excellent entertainment. Among the many great options, here are just a few. We like the interactive and slightly hokey but fun Mob Museum (You can even get married here!); the stellar The Smith Center for the Performing Arts (a 61-acre Symphony Park and 5-acre performing arts center); SlotZilla, a slot machine–inspired zip line; and the free monthly First Friday Art Festival featuring local artists, musicians, and food vendors.

The Laundry Room, a semi-secret backroom speakeasy bar at Commonwealth Bar and Club inspired by pre-Prohibition era design, is a hot ticket, as is another speakeasy (it's a trend!), a beautifully decorated jazz and piano bar called The Lady Silvia, with leather couches and walls lined with real books.

Finally, grab a Guide to Artifacts, Antiques and Artworks at Main Street’s hotel registration desk and go antiquing at Main Street (be sure to check out a piece of the Berlin Wall in the casino’s men’s room), or take a free tour of Las Vegas' own microbrewery, Banger Brewing.

As you can tell, there's a whole other world beyond the strip. The Plaza Hotel Las Vegas is an icon in the city and its rates are amazing. If you want to play away from the expensive tables of the Strip and are into Bingo or Keno, the Plaza is definitely your ticket. Sure, other hotels offer bigger and grander shows like Cirque du Soleil, but which one features a real mob boss? Plus you can discover unknown gems downtown! Let the games begin at the Plaza Hotel and Casino.