What changes this will bring to the hotel other than in the signage is yet to be seen. So far, not much; it's pretty much the same hotel it has been for years, which is mostly a good thing.

Back when it was called The International the Las Vegas Hilton was the home of Elvis Presley, a fact trumpeted by the large bronze statue of him that is usually being passed without a glance by stone-faced businessmen on their way to the Las Vegas Convention Center next door. That's the main crowd that haunts these halls - guys in suits and/or khakis with badges identifying them as the sales rep for whatever company happens to be hawking their latest wares at whatever convention happens to be in town.

They seem to fit in with the main part of the hotel and casino, featuring acres of marble, tons of crystal chandelier effects, and plush furnishings. These parts of the hotels are very classy, reserved, and tasteful.

Then you've got the Spacequest Casino, a strange and oddly entertaining room resembling the interior a science fiction space ship if said vessel had a casino in its cargo bay. This area used to act as the entryway to "Star Trek: The Experience," the hotel's much hyped virtual reality ride, but that closed in 2008 and now the Spacequest casino seems a little, well, lost in space. They keep trying to find things to do with it - for instance on a recent visit they were broadcasting sports on the big TV screens that used to show outer space vistas and had go-go dancers at the gaming tables. Still weird though.

The main casino seems to be more popular with the table games crowd - I couldn't get near a blackjack table but had my choice of slot machines. I didn't win squat on any of them but I was sitting right next to a woman who won $5,000. I was happy for her. No, really.

A big draw is the sports book, which at 30,000 square-feet is billed as the largest in the world. I haven't measured all the sports books in the world so I can't verify that claim but it is pretty darned big, well-equipped, modern, and popular, which means that on big game days you'll have a hard time finding a seat.

Rooms are very nice if a little on the unremarkable side. Each standard room comes with: one or two beds: a couple of comfy chairs: a large armoire with dresser drawers for extra storage; a television equipped with wireless Internet and pay-per-view movies; high-speed Internet access for a fee; hair dryers; irons and boards; and a big closet and dressing area with full-length mirrors.

Part of the big draw for the LV Hilton - oops, LVH - is the massive scope of what is included onsite, which is important since it's a bit of a hike to the next nearest, well, anything. There are a ton of restaurants, your choice of nightclubs, bars, and lounges; a big showroom; lots of stores and shops hawking everything from perfume to toys; a big video game arcade for the kids; and a beautiful pool deck that includes a fine spa and tennis courts.

It's also home to a station on the Las Vegas Monorail system so getting to and from The Strip is much easier now.

Prices have been coming down at the LVH. I've seen advertisements for mid-week, slow periods as low as $44 per night. This is also a unique hotel in that it's sometimes easier to get a cheaper room on the weekend than a weekday, since the convention crowd usually only hits Monday through Friday. The downside is that even small conventions that don't affect rates at hotels in other areas will drive prices sky-high here.

Service was professional and courteous but not quite as friendly as I have experienced at other places.

No matter what you call it, this hotel offers very nice accommodations, often at reasonable prices, which makes it worth considering. Just don't get lost in space like the Star Trek folks did.

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