In late 2008 it was announced that Treasure Island would be sold to billionaire Phil Ruffin, former owner of The Frontier. As of now he says he plans to keep everything as is with no changes to rooms, shows, attractions, restaurants, etc. Even the tram to the Mirage is staying put.

When Treasure Island debuted in 1993 it was as highly themed as Las Vegas resorts get, with a wacky “Yo Ho Ho” stamp on everything from the eye-patched pirate on the giant marquee to the chests of gold in the casino walls to the sailing ships artwork in the rooms. It was silly, it was cheesy, and we all made jokes about it but come on and admit it… it was fun.

A couple of years ago they swept away the bulk of that pirate theme with a massive overhaul designed to make the hotel appeal to young adults. Even the name changed, from Treasure Island to “The T.I.”. The result was certainly more “grown-up” in a way but their attempts to make the place sexy and alluring fell flat in my opinion and in the process most of the fun the place used to exude is gone.

Now they seemed to have backed away just a bit from that relentless hip and sexy gambit and the hotel has balanced itself out nicely to become a solid, upper middle-market option for Las Vegas visitors.

Yes, some of the failed “sexy” still exists. The silly but inoffensive pirate stunt show out front was replaced by the horrible “Sirens of TI” show and it continues to offend people (or at least me) on a nightly basis. But much of the rest of what felt aggressively youth-market oriented has been dialed back – a welcome relief.

What is left behind may not be all that memorable, especially in comparison to some of the over-the-top places that neighbor it, but it’s comfortable in a way that many Las Vegas hotels aren’t anymore.

The casino is large and filled with all of the latest slots and table games. Denominations on the former and buy-in on the latter are reasonable with everything from penny to five-dollar slots and $10 blackjack tables scattered about. If you need a taste of the high life there’s a lovely high-limit lounge in the center of the casino that even offers a complimentary buffet for gamblers.

Restaurants, a buffet, and some nightclubs and lounges line the perimeter of the casino and there is a small shopping promenade leading back to the showroom, parking, and the free tram to Mirage.

A 2008 remodeling of the rooms has turned what were kind of staid accommodations into sleekly sexy ones. Each room comes with floor-to-ceiling windows, flat screen televisions with pay-per-view movies, in-room safes, high-speed Internet access, irons and boards, a writing desk, and unexpectedly comfy beds. Bathrooms are all marble affairs with make-up mirrors and hair dryers, allegedly. I say allegedly because my room didn’t have one but it’s on their amenities list and I don’t have any hair to speak of, so it really didn’t trouble me. I did miss the convenience of having an in-room mini-bar – the trek to the vending machines by the elevators required a Sherpa.

They are larger than average and very well appointed but be sure to ask for one close to the elevator - that's a long hallway to walk if you get stuck at the end.

There's a very nice pool area and small (by Strip standards) but complete spa if you’re in the mood for some pampering.

This hotel also has the privilege of hosting what is indisputably one of the best shows in town: Mystere.

Prices can go pretty low here – I’ve seen them under $100 a night for off-peak weekdays but Monday through Thursday is more likely to cost you in the $150-$180 range and weekends $200-$250. It’s still shocking to me that this is now considered mid-range but there you have it.

One special thing to note is the level of customer service here. I lost a necklace while staying at Treasure Island once. Although not expensive, it had tremendous sentimental value to me so I reported it missing and asked housekeeping to keep an eye out for it when they cleaned the room. A week after my stay I received two letters - one from the head of housekeeping and one from security - letting me know that they hadn't found the necklace but were keeping the incident on file just in case. Both people apologized profusely and hoped that it wouldn't deter me from staying there again in the future. And this was on an unofficial visit, when no one knew I was there to review the hotel. That’s pretty classy.

By the way, I found the necklace in my suitcase a month later and babbled incoherently about conspiracies and black holes but most people just ignored me.

While I still miss the wacky Treasure Island of days past, I do appreciate the fact that they seem to have come to their senses in terms of the future direction of the hotel. The middle-market needs a dependable hotel option and Treasure Island provides it.

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