Since it opened in 1996, the Monte Carlo has taken a relatively low profile on The Strip. Well, except for that part where the place caught fire in early 2008 and was closed for three weeks. That wasn't exactly low-profile.

But all of that is over now, nobody got hurt, the damage was mostly cosmetic, and the hotel is open for business again. And so after some drama, it goes back to being low-profile again.

It's pretty hard to imagine a 3,000-room, $350 million building being low profile but when you compare it to the architectural and sensorial overloads that sit all around it, the Monte Carlo fades into the background a bit. Done up in the traditional all-white marble and gold accents of its namesake the place practically screams refinement and good taste but again, this is a city where even the local McDonald's has white marble and gold accents so the end result might not be as eye-catching as its wilder neighbors.

But overlooking the Monte Carlo would be a mistake. This is a hotel that already offers very nice accommodations, a ton of entertainment and dining options, and a big casino at rates that often beat similar hotels of the same caliber nearby.

Out front you'll find lots of statuary (some of it PG-13 rated by the way), columns, and fountains leading to the main casino, a football field of a room packed with slots of all types and denominations and table games of all stripes and colors. A poker room, a keno lounge, a race and sports book, and a high-limit gaming area.

This is not, as they would lead you to believe, a tasteful European gaming parlor but it seems as if they have trimmed back a bit on the “glare” that used to bother me here. And I won while playing in this casino on my last visit so that makes me like it better. Not very objective but do you like casinos where you lose?

As usual the restaurants and attractions surround the main casino and include a buffet, a 24-hour café, a steakhouse, a bistro, and a few of our favorites Diablo's Cantina, the Monte Carlo Pub and Brewery, Dragon Noodle, and a branch of the very fine French eatery Andre’s. There’s also a food court with lots of the usual food court suspects.

A showroom features magician Lance Burton (another one of our favorites) and there is a lounge with entertainment adjacent to the main casino.

If you’re in a shopping mood there are a few boutique stores but if you’re after a spree you’ll have to go elsewhere because the choices are limited. By the way if you're looking for that tram that runs to Bellagio, it's gone. Walk.

At the back of the property is the main desk, although there is a back entrance to the place so you don't need to hike all the way from The Strip to get there. This is also one of the only hotels of this size where you don't have to go through the casino to get to the elevators. That gets major bonus points for those times when you are carrying bags or headed to the pool in your bathing suit.

Speaking of which, the pool and recreation area is worth noting. They have recently redone the area with new decking and improved landscaping and it has made an already impressive facility even more so. It includes a swimming pool, giant wave pool, sandy beach, a lazy river ride, tennis courts, and more – lots of frolicking options here.

The standard accommodations as they stand are pleasant but not all that memorable. Done in muted gold and tan accents, they include one king or two queen beds, a writing desk, a couple of chairs, televisions with pay-per-view movies, irons and boards, and data ports on the phones. We were told the upcoming remodeling will aim to make the rooms more stylish and hip, which may have been our words and not theirs but that’s the ultimate goal. That kind of thing worries us because it’s easy to go terribly, terribly wrong when aiming for stylish and hip. We’ll reserve judgment until we see what they do.

The bathrooms are a bit on the small side but that’s really only if you’ve gotten used to some of the newer places that threw a few extra square feet in that direction. They’re typically marbled and tiled and include a hair dryer among the amenities.

If you get a chance and can afford it you should look into a Spa Suite. These oversized rooms include a Jacuzzi tub next to the windows overlooking The Strip (if you get one facing that way of course). Although these rooms have been redone in the aforementioned hip and stylish touches – sleek, minimalist furniture, a padded wall, and lots of gizmos like a surround-sound stereo system – the new standard rooms will not have this exact look according to our guide.

Prices can be a lure here. You can often get a midweek room here for less than $100 per night with weekends usually in the mid-to-upper $100 range. As usual, special events and conventions will drive those prices sky high but on the flipside, they often advertise specials that can go as low as $49 per night. If you can get it that cheap you should leap at it and even if you can’t the Monte Carlo is a hotel that shouldn’t be overlooked anymore.

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