As part of the corporate family that includes Orleans and Suncoast, The Gold Coast has always been the redheaded stepchild. It has never gotten the same kind of attention or capital that its more high-profile siblings received and as a result, the hotel fell into such a state that for a long time I never thought it was worth listing on this site.

But what a difference a couple million dollars makes. The Gold Coast got a major renovation and expansion a few years back that turned it into a solid alternative to the more expensive hotels in the neighborhood. It's worth thinking about for your next Vegas vacation.

For reference, The Gold Coast is located on Flamingo Road just West of The Strip and Interstate 15, right across the street from both The Rio and the Palms Resort. This puts it within spitting distance of The Strip although it's still quite a hike if you're out of shape or just plain lazy like me.

The first thing that got some attention were the rooms and other hotel areas. New carpet, paint, wallpaper, and furnishings have turned sparse, drab rooms into comfortable, well-appointed lodgings. To be certain, these are not luxury accommodations but you do get a medium sized room, a bed (or two), a small sitting area, a flat screen TV with cable and pay-per-view movies, high-speed Internet, a hair dryer, iron and board, a coffee maker, and a bathroom of course. It's not much more than what you could expect at a Motel 6 or Holiday Inn but I mean that in a good way.

Suites include larger spaces with a separate bedroom, finer furnishings, and kitchenettes.

The more impressive changes though came in the casino and other public areas. Dingy is the word I used to use to describe the Gold Coast, but now a complete top to bottom remodeling has made the place light, bright, and more in line with the hotels it is trying to compete with.

New carpet, wall treatments, and lighting fixtures were just the start. They also raised the ceiling in several parts of the casino that succeeded in getting rid of the claustrophobic air the place used to have. Granted, they still pack a lot into their casinos and so horizontal spacing is not always optimum, but at least the vertical lines improve the overall feeling.

Besides the standard slots, video poker, and table games in the casino you'll also find a keno lounge, a bingo parlor, and a sports book.

There are a bunch of restaurants, a very good and inexpensive buffet, a showroom, lounges, and bars to keep you fed, entertained, and/or happy.

In addition they have a 70-lane bowling alley, a small but respectable pool area, and a workout facility (only for hotel guests).

So even before I get to the cost factor I'm impressed by the Gold Coast but when you throw in the fact that you can get weekday rates here as low as $40 and weekends as low as $80 I'm really impressed. Obviously those rates, like those at all Vegas hotels, vary dramatically so it may not be that low when you call but they're still most likely going to be substantially lower than any other major hotel-casino near it.

Although I wouldn't necessarily make the Gold Coast one of my first choices unless budget was the primary factor in our decision-making, I still recommend that you keep it in mind for your next visit to Vegas.

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