The Golden Nugget is the best hotel in downtown Las Vegas by far! If you go during the week you can get fantastic rates.  
 
My husband travels to Vegas weekly for business so he stays there at least 2 nights a week. The rooms are luxurious, elegant and very clean, with beautiful decor. The bathrooms are nice, roomy, pretty and clean. They always have shampoo, conditioner, lotion and mouthwash. They have a non-smoking floor, but I have on occasion stayed in non-smoking rooms there that stink like smoke. When this has happened I call housekeeping and they come right up and deoderize the room for me. It helps a little. What are you gonna do? It's Las Vegas.  
 
The pool is very nice with plenty of chaises in the shade and a misting system. They also have cabanas that can be reserved for $50.00 a day. It's a luxury but worth it. We rented one for the day when the kids were with us, and the little one said she felt like a "rich lady." She can hope. In the cabana there is a t.v., refrigerator stocked with fruit platter and bottled water, patio table & 4 chairs, 2 pool mattresses, and 2 reserved chaises with towels. It was very nice, and the cabana attendant assigned to us was very attentive and helpful. We even ordered lunch out there. There was also a misting system in the cabana.  
 
The casino is nice too. It's rather small by some hotel's standards, but it's very beautiful and I never had trouble finding a seat for black jack!  
 
There are several restaurants; California Pizza Kitchen (I highly recommend it), Lilly Langtrys which is a chinese/steak type restaurant and is on the pricier side (haven't been there, but have seen the menu), The Buffet is decent, but there's almost always a huge line - Golden Nugget is famous for their bread pudding (ick), which I don't like but other people rave about and the prices are reasonable. The Coffee Shop (can't remember the name) is very good, usually not too bad a wait if you go at off hours. They have the best french toast I have ever eaten - The Nugget French Toast. It's Hawaiian Sweet Bread covered with bananas and pecans, my mouth is watering!  
 
Also, one thing I love about Fremont Street (where the Nugget is located) is that everything is in close proximity. So you can go walk from hotel to hotel, without dying of heat prostration. I like to gamble at the Golden Gate (when I'm feeling cheap) because they have $3 tables. Also, the laser show on Fremont Street is really incredible - they have it every evening after dark. There are little kiosks with gifts, etc... up and down the street too. However, I would recommend not walking outside of Fremont Street as the surrounding areas are a little scary.  
 
I would definitely recommend the Golden Nugget ( oh, and did I mention free parking for hotel guests?) it's beautifully appointed, luxurious and if you hit it just right, cheap.  
 
