Yes, the hotel was purchased by Harrah's Entertainment in 2005 and they made quite a big deal about saying they were going to tear the joint down as part of a major overhaul of their center Strip properties. But then Harrah's Entertainment got bought by a private investment firm and that delayed things and then the economy kinda went in the toilet and that delayed things even more and so for now, the Imperial Palace thumbs its proverbial nose at all of those who thought it would be a pile of rubble by now. Including me.

So enough about what isn't, let's talk about what is...

The Vegas Strip is designed for people with a short attention span. “Hey, look over here!” “No, look over here!” With such grand, attention-getting places like Bellagio, Mirage, Caesars, Treasure Island, and The Venetian just feet away it is easy to understand why The Imperial Palace is often overlooked by Vegas visitors. That’s too bad because while it may not be as flashy or as posh as those hotels, it’s a perfectly respectable place to visit and you can usually save yourself a ton of dough in the process.

The I.P. has not received any serious remodeling since the bulk of it was built in the late ‘70s and ‘80s – at least not to the level of places like Harrah’s or The Flamingo where a series of overhauls has attempted to keep up with the Joneses. The result is the hotel feels old, something that can be both a good and not so good thing. Good because “old Vegas” is rare, especially on The Strip, and the I.P. gives off a comfy Downtown vibe like The Four Queens or the Fremont. Not so good because if you walk from the gleaming marble and muted earth tones of The Venetian for example into the I.P. it’s going to seem kind of dingy in comparison.

But all you have to do is keep repeating this mantra in your head – “I’m saving hundreds of dollars a night. I’m saving hundreds of dollars a night.” Trust me, it’ll make you feel better about everything. Think I'm kidding? I ran a cost comparison by picking a couple of random nights in May and found a weeknight when The Imperial Palace was charging $56 and The Venetian was charging $429. I don’t know about you but I'm willing to put up with less marble and cheaper furniture if it’s going to save me $373 a night.

The Imperial Palace has an Asian theme running throughout from its pagoda style roof to the ornate dragon sculptures. The casino is long, narrow, kind of dark, and has a very low ceiling so it isn’t one of the bright and airy types of places that I prefer but it isn’t an awful place to lose your money. There certainly is no lack of gaming options – all of the table games (with lower limits than most Strip casinos), tons of slots (from penny to $25), a race and sports book, keno, and much more.

Around the edges of the casino are the front desk, a lounge offering live entertainment, a bar or two, and some shopping options. On the fifth floor (accessible by elevator or escalators) are several restaurants, nightclubs and lounges, some entertainment options (shows, etc.), a large pool deck where they host Hawaiian Luaus every summer, and more. Check the related reviews for a selection of the noteworthy things you can do at the Imperial Palace.

The biggest best news for the IP in a long time is the addition of a branch of the fabulous Hash House a Go Go. That's reason enough to visit the place right there.

The rooms are motel basic and not much more. Most of the standard accommodations come with two double beds (not queens) or one king, television with pay-per-view movies and Nintendo style games, a hair dryer, an iron and board, and data ports on the phones. The furnishings are fine but obviously cheap but just keeping repeating your mantra.

There are more expensive and larger suites, including the amusingly named “Luv-Tub” rooms, complete with a large Roman tub for… well, whatever you may choose to use such a tub for.

One cool note is that most of the rooms have very small but functioning balconies, something that is unheard of in this city.

Also similar to Downtown is the service. Everyone I ran into at the I.P. went out of their way to treat me with a great deal of care, even those that didn’t know I was there to review the hotel. Stories I have heard from other sources back up the assertion that this is one of the friendliest places in town.

If you can get over the not-as-nice-as-Bellagio surroundings you will rarely find this good of a deal anywhere in this neighborhood. There are lots of reasons to recommend this hotel but that price thing has to be at the top.

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