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. The 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 are fine and by that I mean okay. There's nothing expressly wrong with them but they are not much better than nice motel rooms. Each 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 mentioned you have a lot of choices nearby.

I'd say cost is the main reason you'd want to stay here when the prices are reasonable. As with most hotels on The Strip these days, rates have dropped dramatically and I've seen rooms for as low as $36 during the week, which would make me forego many of the niceties that you get at newer, bigger, more luxurious places that cost 7 or 8 times as much. Unfortunately I've also seen rates as high as $250 on the weekends, which is downright ridiculous for this property. So if you check and see prices on the lower end of that scale, you can feel confident that you're going to get your money's worth. See them on the higher end and you probably want to look elsewhere.

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