Mardi Gras Hotel & Casino

Information

At a Glance

Highs

Inexpensive rooms; larger than a standard motel room.

Lows

Location; not much to do other than sleep or swim.

Location: 5

Not within walking distance to much you’ll want to do.

Price: 7

It can be very inexpensive to stay here.

Value: 5

Basic lodging and a small casino – not much else.

Rooms: 8

Bigger than most standard motels, with a sitting area.

Casino: 2

Calling it a casino is being very generous.

Amenities: 8

Rooms are very well equipped.

Facilities: 4

Rooms, pool, small casino, and some food but nothing else.

Service: 8

Very friendly.

Fun: 3

You’ll probably want to go elsewhere for fun.

Bonus: 6

Good for cheap lodging.

Total: 56

Full Review

A perfectly decent entry in the Las Vegas hotel landscape that, while pleasant and unassuming, lacks just about all the excitement that made Las Vegas famous. Even if all you’re looking for is a place to lie down there are better alternatives closer to the action.

The Mardi Gras  Hotel & Casino is located on Paradise Road about a mile from The Strip and since most people coming here have their own cars so location isn’t usually an issue.

Two story motel type buildings surround an inner courtyard with a large pool and a multi-level sundeck. It’s a nice enough area to catch some rays but it’s certainly no Mirage landscaped wonder.

There is a small, and I mean small, casino with a few dozen slots and video poker machines but no gaming tables. Basically they have taken what may have been a large lobby and lounge and shoved the check-in desk in the corner. My opinion is that this area is only for the hard core gambling junkies – if you find yourself pumping bills into one of the Mardi Gras’ slots at four in the morning, you need help.

The rooms are larger than what you’d expect, with small sitting areas in the king-size-bed rooms and kitchenettes with coffee makers in all rooms. Furnishings are adequate but that’s about it – you’re not staying at the Four Seasons, after all.

You can often get pretty cheap rooms here, which is appropriate since they don’t have a lot of the facilities or amenities that the bigger, more expensive properties do. If you call and are quoted anything over $100 a night, go somewhere else unless everything else is booked.