Back in 2005, new owners took over the Golden Nugget and immediately began a top to bottom rejuvenation of the property that involved almost every single corner of the building. The result was a dramatic improvement over what was already a pretty good hotel and now, with the late 2009 opening of new rooms, casino space, and restaurants, the package is almost irresistable.

The hotel has a new main entrance as of late 2009 with a landscaped drive leading to a Porte Corchere and a lobby designed primarily for the Rush Tower rooms but available to anyone checking in. It is done in golden earth tones with a swirling crystal chandelier structure offsetting a 75,000 gallon aquarium at the Chart House restaurant right behind the main desk. A couple of boutique stores and some additional casino space is also featured in the 2009 update.

The sometimes stark white and gold French Riviera feeling of yore was replaced by a richer color scheme of earth tones - deep browns, creamy whites, glowing oranges offset by vibrant splashes of green and red here and there. A bit more casino space was added but even though the basic footprint of the main floor is roughly the same, you really won't recognize the place because the difference is just that dramatic with new carpets, wall-treatments, lighting fixtures, and more contributing to a sense of freshness and newness that you rarely see in Downtown Las Vegas.

Everything has a better sense of space - something that was desperately needed considered how cramped the place felt before. New machines and tables combine with the new décor scheme to turn this into a genuinely enjoyable place in which to lose your life savings.

Since owners Landry's is first and foremost a restaurant chain, it's no great surprise that they added new eateries to the mix. The buffet was completely redone (and is quite good), while new entries include their trademark Vic and Anthony's, a lovely and intimate space serving up traditional steakhouse fare, the Grotto, an Italian joint that is open and airy to the new pool area, and a Chart House seafood restaurant complete with a massive aquarium is included in the 2009 update.

The showroom was gutted and redone, transforming a converted ballroom with uncomfortable banquet chairs into a full-blown theater with comfy seats and plenty of legroom. The spa was also overhauled with a light and bright look.

The pool area is the centerpiece of the transformation of The Golden Nugget. Surrounded by three sides on glass facing into the hotel, a recreation deck surrounds a deep (although not particularly large) pool, a giant aquarium, and a bar. Overlooking the whole thing is a second level with cabanas and the start of a water slide that actually passes through that shark filled aquarium on its way to splashdown. A third-floor area that keeps younger kids at bay was added in 2009 that features more luxurious cabanas, daybeds, a bar, and a shallow but gorgeous heated infinity pool. The whole package is branded as the H20 pool club and is open to the public for a fee.

The 25-story Rush Tower is the 2009 addition to the room inventory, with 500 units available in a variety of configurations. Standard rooms feature a sizeable bathroom with wood floors and accents and a richly appointed sleeping area with tons of amenities including a built in desk, a couch, mini-fridge, flat panel televisions, DVD players, iPod clock radios, safes, irons and boards, and much more. Larger mini-suites feature more floor space, very spacious resort style bathrooms, and full sectional sofas. The decor is stellar - luxe and definitely upscale but still comfortable in varying shades of rich browns, leather, and wood. Gorgeous.

Rooms in the older towers have also been redone. The Gold Tower (formerly the North Tower) rooms have simple floral patterns in the drapes and linens and equally simple furnishings. They are nice but nothing to write home about. The Carson Tower (formerly the South Tower) rooms are similarly simple but are a bit bigger. If you can afford the extra few bucks a Rush Tower room will cost, you should.

It's worth noting that even with the new check-in desk at the Rush Tower, the two check-in desks at the Gold and Carson Towers are still operational so you should go to the one that is closest to the tower you are checking into. Otherwise you're going to have a trek with luggage through casinos and/or crowds to get to where you want to go..

The Downtown area has always been known for having friendlier staff members and dealers than The Strip and that tradition continues here. Everyone I dealt with was cheerful, helpful, and efficient.

Despite all of the money thrown at the place, they are not apparently asking you to pay for it through increased room rates. You can still get a room here during the week for as low as $39 with the really nice Rush Tower as low as $69. On weekends those prices will roughly double as a starting point but that's still a great bargain for a hotel as good as this one.

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