Home away
   from home,
   baby!
 
Fell into this place, hard. Coincidently, on my first ever Vegas trip I stayed at the Sahara; never thought I'd do that again! Oh, nothing wrong, just that being new to town I only stayed at the Sahara because it was the cheapest rate I'd found... Figured each trip I'd try a different place, as outlined on my Where I've Stayed page.

Full Circle...

The dollar blackjack eventually brought me back to Sahara. (Note: Sahara discontinued dollar blackjack in early 2004.)
  After a few years of just sight-seeing and playing slots, I was ready to get more serious about learning blackjack and wanted a place to "practice" without having to risk too much $$ to play.
 
Sahara's numerous dollar tables were the perfect place.

Still, at first I assumed this would be a temporary thing, just to hone my blackjack skills, maybe until I was adept enough to get comped at a nicer place (I especially had my eyes on the Mirage, being something of a Steve Wynn fan). Then the Sahara gradually began growing on me... Playing only dollar blackjack I wasn't getting comped at the tables, but I did qualify for the casino rate through the Slot Club, making an inexpensive place even cheaper still... And, over a few visits, came to appreciate the following:
   
   
 


Sahara is "old school" Vegas with Rat Pack history; it's like a downtown casino, yet it's on the Strip. A favorite hangout of Elvis, Ann-Margret, Sinatra, even the Beatles stayed here in '64 (room 2344). Johnny Carson, George Burns, Tony Bennett and other legends have headlined here.

"Low-roller" casino, yet on the Strip and with more "personality"/history (see first bullet) than more modern low-roller counterparts.

It's a small casino, but not too small; sometimes you just get tired of so much walking in Vegas.

Very easy to drive to, park, and not too long of a walk from parking garage to room—very unlike most any other resort on the strip. Sometimes you just get tired of so much walking in Vegas.

Like the balcony rooms with a Strip view for less than $30/night (casino rate). Balconies are actually not very common in Las Vegas.

Become friendly with several of the dealers, bartenders, and cocktail waitresses, who'd remember me from previous visits... Just made it seem more like "home."


    
       
 

The real clincher though is the times Sahara came through in a pinch... Several times the slot host has secured a room reservation for me (at the next-to-nothing casino rate no less) when everything else in town was sold out or astronomically priced—including even the Sahara itself, if one were simply to call the main desk.

So, at Sahara I've stayed... Home away from home, baby!


  (Sahara's Website)
 

see
 Balcony Pictures


back to
 Paul's "Where I've Stayed" page


back to
 Paul's Vegas page


 

 www.paulfidler.com

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