People had been asking me for years why I didn’t have a review of Binion’s on this site. This fabled institution has been a fixture in Downtown Vegas for decades so it was a reasonable question with a reasonable response: they wouldn’t let me. I tried to gain access for a hotel review only to be turned down or ignored time and again. And it wasn’t just me – some big names in the travel industry have tried to get in to get a peek at Binion’s and the vault door had remained closed.

Some staff and management changes (pre-closure) led to a change of heart at Binion’s so I was thrilled to get an invitation to take a formal tour of the hotel. That’s the good news. The bad news is the PR guy was at Kinko’s when I arrived and the hotel manager was too busy to be bothered so I wound up getting let into a room by Marc, one of the bellmen who, while genial, was mostly concerned that I spell his name correctly. Marc with a “c.” Got it.

Therefore my formal review isn’t very formal and you’ll pardon me if I'm a bit miffed by the whole experience.

Of course the casino is the main lure here. A dark, smoky, wood paneled, and red, flocked wallpaper wonder made famous by the World Series of Poker broadcast ad infinitum on cable, Binion’s is the kind of place that makes you want to play some card game while drinking whisky, smoking, swearing, and maybe even spitting – even if you don’t do those things normally. It’s pure, undiluted Vegas and it definitely isn’t for everyone but if you don’t like the corporate sanitization on The Strip you should head here first.

The World Series of Poker moved away to Harrah's and the casino has gotten some "spiffing up" but the overall effect is still mostly the same. And actually that's okay with me. This is the one area of the hotel I actually liked the old way.

There is a pool open only during the summer. It’s on the roof of the hotel tower and could be nice but I didn’t see that either so really, who knows?

There are a few restaurants and bars but that's about it for diversions other than gambling. It's worth noting that many of the old classic Binion's eateries that offered the famed Cheap Eats have been replaced with outlets that are still fairly cheap but not anywhere near as interesting.

The rooms are very basic – all pinks and beiges with one king or two double beds (yep – I said double, not queen); very small televisions with basic cable only; and… well, that’s about it. Oh yeah, there are data ports on the phones. Of course you’ll have to balance your laptop on your knees to use them but maybe that’s why they call them laptops. No hair dryers, no irons and boards, no safes, no pay per view movies… the list of things that aren’t in the rooms are longer than the list of things that are.

Everything seemed clean and relatively well cared for during my brief inspection.

It is substantially cheaper to stay here than it is on The Strip but they really aren’t much cheaper than other Downtown hotels that I like a lot better. Figure around $50 midweek and $100 weekends although specials and slow times might get you in for less. There are probably six other hotels in the area that go for those rates that I’d prefer to stay in before I picked Binion’s.

Service is… well, I won’t condemn the entire hotel staff based on my limited experience. Marc, seemed very nice. And I saw this one casino attendant who was maybe five feet tall but only because she had a foot of big blonde hair. I decided her name was Cookie even though that really wasn’t her name. It’s just that kind of place. I was hoping the new owners would focus on service as a way of improving the overall vibe of the place but my experiences there since my official unofficial visit haven't been much better.

It's been awhile since those new owners have taken over and I haven't seen much in the way of improvements that make me hopeful for the hotel's future, but I still have a soft spot for the tradition and history of the place so here's to hoping things change for the better.

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Caudill is no stranger to the Downtown market, having owned the neighboring Four Queens for years and his success in upgrading the property recently makes many believe this sale is good news for the struggling Binion’s.

Binion’s has been through some tough times over the last few years. The hotel shut down after running out of money and was purchased by gaming giant Harrah’s Entertainment. Their primary interest in the hotel, however, were the rights to the World Series of Poker (now held at Rio) and the Horseshoe brand name. They quickly sold the place to MTR gaming who made some improvements but never really did much to try to turn the hotel around and reports of its hemorrhaging of money were rampant.

Caudill says he plans to keep the property open while performing some serious upgrades including new slot machines, décor for the casino and rooms, and more to be announced. Work should begin as soon as the sale is complete within the year.