The Golden Nugget with its Strip-style accommodations, shark-filled pool and popular restaurants is a hotel rich on comfort and fun in downtown Las Vegas.
The vibe
Classic Vegas elegance, upscale but not out of reach, ample choices for everyone
Las Vegas Fremont street entertainment guide
What we love
Located in the heart of downtown, the Golden Nugget resembles the kind of property you’d find on the Strip. Now don’t get us wrong. Staying here won’t be of the same caliber as staying at one of the elite Strip resorts, but by downtown’s standards this will feel pretty darn luxurious.
The Golden Nugget opened in 1946 and still nothing seems dated. From the elegant marble lobby to a collection of contemporary restaurants capable of satisfying every craving, this resort offers everything you need in a great location where you can literally step outside and right into the eye-popping sights and rockin’ sounds of Fremont Street Experience.
We can say with complete confidence there’s no other hotel pool in town like The Tank. Not only does this outdoor complex have a lush setting with two cascading waterfalls, but there’s a 200,000-gallon aquarium filled with sharks and a three-story water slide will take you right through the center of it.
The Golden Nugget’s buffet is the best in downtown. It’s a step up from the competition geographically because it’s located on the second floor (where you’ll have a great view of the pool if you sit near the windows). Our favorite time to go is on Friday and Saturday nights for the seafood spread, which includes crab legs, fresh shrimp, sushi and lobster mac ‘n’ cheese.
Good to know
At 364 square feet, the standard deluxe rooms are the smallest and oldest. If you need an affordable place to crash, they’re just fine. If you’re interested in additional creature comforts, go for the Gold Tower deluxe rooms. Renovated in 2014, they have more space with foyers and living areas as well as 42-inch flat-screen TVs and Keurig coffee makers (but you’ll have to pay for the K-Cups).
For a VIP-level experience, book a room in the Rush Tower. Opened in 2009, the accommodations here are as good as gold with soaking tubs, premium linens, leather sofas, private check-in and turndown service.
If noise is an issue and you’re not in Vegas to party, request a room on the hotel’s south side — in other words, not facing Fremont Street Experience, where there’s a stage and music plays until the wee hours.
There are two valets at the Golden Nugget. If you’re staying in the main hotel, use the valet off Casino Center Boulevard. If you’re staying in the Rush Tower, head to the one on Carson Avenue near First Street. Valet parking is free to everyone but may be restricted to hotel guests on weekends, holidays and special events.
The self-parking garage is located off First Street near Bridger Avenue. It’s complimentary to hotel guests. Anyone patronizing the Golden Nugget can also park there and get three hours free with validation — otherwise you’ll have to pay an hourly rate.
Insider tips
A Gold to Go ATM (yes, you’ve read that correctly) is one of the hotel’s unusual attractions. Simply insert your debit or credit card. Instead of cash it dispenses small 24-carat gold bars at market value prices.
Check out the biggest gold nugget in existence at the Golden Nugget. You’ll discover the 61-pound Hand of Faith just off the casino floor near the room elevators. It was discovered in Australia in 1980 and also has the honor of being the biggest nugget ever found with a metal detector.
If aquariums are your thing, enjoy a meal or just a cocktail in the Chart House seafood restaurant. The dining room and bar wrap around a 75,000-gallon aquarium filled with more than 1,000 colorful fish, including a moray eel that looks like a scary sea serpent. Trust us, you won’t be able to take your eyes off it (and in the interest of self-preservation, you shouldn’t).
One more thing we can’t forget: The Golden Nugget has a Starbucks fronting Fremont Street with an outdoor patio. Get your caffeine fix here 24 hours a day. There’s a second location of Starbucks inside the Carson Tower; however, this one isn’t open around the clock.
Golden Nugget – Entertainment
Casino
Yes, 38,000 square feet. There are approximately 1,200 slot and video poker machines and 50 table games. Casino games include blackjack, Caribbean Stud poker, craps, keno, Let It Ride, pai gow poker, poker, roulette, slots and Megabucks. The casino also has a poker room and a four-table baccarat pit.
Race & Sports Book
Yes, a country club-style race and sports book, equipped with seven betting stations, multiple plasma televisions, 62 plush seats and four booths with private screens.
Restaurants
The Golden Nugget has the following dining options: The Buffet, Chart House, Cadillac Mexican Cantina & Tequila Bar, Claim Jumper, Lillie’s Asian Cuisine, Vic & Anthony’s, Grotto Ristorante, Red Sushi, Starbucks, The Grille and a snack bar.
Entertainment
Yes, visiting headliners in the 600-seat showroom.
Nightlife
Rush Lounge, Claude’s Bar and the International Beer Bar. There is also the indoor/outdoor Bar 46 with a view of the Fremont Street Experience.
Attractions
The Golden Nugget is home to the Hand of Faith, the largest single nugget of gold in the world. It weighs a massive 61 pounds, 11 ounces and is displayed (free of charge) with another nugget weighing 13 pounds. The resort also has a 200,000-gallon aquarium located on the pool deck. This aquarium houses several shark species and is part of a three-story pool complex complete with waterfalls and an enclosed waterslide that passes through the aquarium.
Pool
Yes. There are two pools. The Tank features a 200,000-gallon aquarium, the centerpiece of the resort’s pool complex. There’s also a two-level infinity pool for those ages 21 or older called The Hideout.
Health club or fitness equipment
There is a fitness center, but it’s located inside the spa and has a fee for usage.
Wedding services
Yes, the Wedding Chapel at Golden Nugget offers a number of wedding ceremony packages and services