Bill's Gamblin' Hall & Saloon? Huh? I thought this was the Barbary Coast.

Well, yes, it used to be until Harrah's Entertainment bought the place and renamed it in 2007. Other than the signs and the stationery, not a lot else changed in the transition and not a lot is expected to change before Harrah's tears the place down, which they are expected to do at some point in the not too distant future.

In the meantime, this hotel remains a rarity - a 200-room property dwarfed by the billion-dollar resorts that surround it. However it still manages to create a presence in this highly competitive area.

The location couldn't be better with Caesars, Ballys, The Flamingo, The Mirage, Harrahs, Treasure Island, Bellagio, Venetian, and Paris only a block away.

It is up to you whether you fall on the pro or con side of a small property like this one.

With smaller you get more personalized service, shorter walks to your room, and just a general lessening in the sense of commotion. You also lose things like a pool, showroom, multiple restaurant choices, and a general sense of commotion (hey, why did you come to Vegas anyway?).

The casino is microscopic compared to most Strip facilities and it is jam-packed with slots and table games so personal space is at a premium. The upside is that you won't wander around lost for days trying to find the buffet. Well, actually you would because there isn't a buffet, but you get the point.

The rooms got a makeover in 2004-2005 that was definitely overdue. The lighter and brighter fabrics and furnishings have gotten rid of the oppressively dark Victorian look and I don't miss it a bit. Each room features basic standard amenities like a TV, an iron and board, and a couple of other niceties but they are not up to par with the newer, bigger resorts that offer so many goodies that you feel like you never need to leave. The bathrooms are small without comparing them to newer resorts and almost too small to see with the naked eye when you do compare them.

There are a couple of restaurants to choose from, but for entertainment other than gambling you'll have to go elsewhere. Luckily, as we mentioned you have a lot of choices nearby.

The cost factor used to be a draw here but like everything else in town it is getting more expensive to stay here. I often see weekend room rates in the $150-200 range, with weekdays in the $100-150 range. That may cheaper than some of their neighbors, but when you consider that pretty much all you get is a bed and four walls, it doesn't seem like a bargain.

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Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall and Saloon will be the new moniker going up on the building around the end of this month, an homage to Harrah’s founder Bill Harrah. The property will shut down for a couple of days and then reopen with the new name on the signs. For now, don’t expect too many other changes, except perhaps the exit of a dining establishment for greener pastures (just a rumor at this point). Harrah’s probably won’t dump a ton of money into doing anything else to the hotel since it is almost a given that they intend to knock it down when they finally get started on whatever it is they have planned for their Center Strip casinos.

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