You've heard the phrase, "Every thing old is new again" and nowhere is it more true than in Las Vegas. Virtually every hotel that has been around for more than a few years has been remodeled to some degree.

Then again, you've also probably heard the phrase "the more things change the more things stay the same."

Both of these phrases apply to The Sahara, the venerable workhorse of a hotel/casino that has anchored the north end of The Strip since 1952.

After suffering through years of decline, the previous owners of the hotel swept through and rehabbed the joint, putting in a new entryway, updating the casino, fixing up the lobby and the pool, and adding a bunch of attractions including a roller coaster. It was all part of an effort to make the Sahara competitive with the nicer, newer hotels down the street.

But then nothing much happened and the hotel pretty much stayed as a B-Level (at best) option for Vegas visitors, mostly inhabited by people looking for cheap rooms and cheap gambling.

Now, the hotel has been purchased by a Los Angeles nightclub impressario and things are supposed to be changing again.

That new owner hasn't done much to the place since acquiring it but apparently has grand plans that include a top to bottom makeover intended to transform the bargain basement atmosphere into a hip, happening, nightclub-worthy space. When all that is supposed to come about is still a bit of a mystery but don't expect to see any major movement before late 2009 at the earliest.

So for now, not much has changed since that extensive remodeling a few years ago. If you've been to the Sahara since they've upgraded things you're not going to find anything surprising or different.

As you drive up under the neon domed valet parking area be sure to snag a bellhop if you have a lot of luggage because the front desk is at the other end of the hotel - not sure whose brilliant idea that was.

The casino has three different sections - the highly themed main room is an Arabian dream come to kitschy life full of table games and lots of slots. There's a smaller, older section with some of the 70s glam still left where you'll find a small poker room, and then a small modern area near the NASCAR café done in a high-tech scheme. There's nothing particularly noteworthy here except for the legendary $1 blackjack tables, a rarity on The Strip.

There are several different towers offering a variety of room configurations but don't expect anything too unusual here I also felt that some of the rooms are exceptionally small.

Since nothing has been updated recently, you may run into some worn spots here and there but they've done a pretty good job of keeping the place maintained. They've also been adding some amenities and you can now get things like high-speed Internet (for a fee), which is rare in a hotel in this price range.

It's hard to complain with prices like these. Their published rates start around $50 a night but every time I've seen it as low as $39. For those kinds of prices you really can't ask for much more than four walls and a mattress.

There is a lot more than that in the hotel, however. They have an Olympic size swimming pool although placement is a bit of a problem since the main parking garage overlooks it. You can dine at several different restaurants or check out their wild virtual reality area Speedworld, complete with a NASCAR café and roller coaster. They have a couple of showrooms, a nice buffet, and some small shopping outlets.

Location is not the best in town considering that the only thing further north on 'The Strip' is The Stratosphere but for economy and an acceptable level of service and and amenities this is a solid choice. Not one of my favorites but pretty good anyway.

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