The California Hotel

12 East Ogden Avenue

Location:  Downtown

What makes it Special? Hawaiian-themed hotel

Entertainment Attraction: Three in-house bars but no shows

Number of Rooms: 781

Overview:

Welcome to the Hotel California? In fact, aloha would be a more appropriate greeting to guests at the Cal, which styles itself – name excepted – as a small island of Hawaiian culture in downtown Vegas. This highly affordable accommodation choice has strong links with the US’s newest state, and boasts a restaurant, Aloha Specialties, showcasing the best dishes from the Hawaiian Islands. If Pacific Ocean-inspired curries don’t float your boat, don’t despair, as the hotel also features a steak house and a pasta restaurant.

Entertainment options at the California Hotel are more limited. The establishment has three bars – the San Francisco Pub, The Main Street Bar and Dave’s Bar – but they’re unable to offer guests a single live show between them. If you don’t want to head out to the nearby Fremont Street Experience for entertainment, your best alternative would be to spend some time – and money – in the Cal’s casino.  Admittedly, the hotel’s almost makes up for its lack of shows with its sophisticated gaming area, which includes over 1,000 slots, 28 table games and a sports book.

With all the gaming options, you won’t be spending much time in your room. This might be for the best, as the Cal’s rooms, even the deluxe ones, are fairly nondescript, though given their ultra-low rates, who’s complaining?

While this hotel’s Hawaiian flavor is certainly unique, guests with a taste for the finer things in life might feel disappointed by the Cal, though not shortchanged.