Where to find a decent $50 room in Vegas

Rooms in Las Vegas for less than $50 a night? Visitors willing to swap the Strip for downtown will find renovated accommodations at the Downtowner and other motels starting at bargain prices during weeknights in June.

The Downtowner, four blocks from the Fremont Street Experience, recently relaunched following a $2.5-million renovation of its 88 guest rooms. The redo blends the motel’s original mid-20th century vibe with modern furnishings.

“It was built in 1963 as a midcentury motor lodge,� said Bill Kennedy, the marketing director for DTP, a real estate company that operates a number of projects including the Downtown Container Park retail district. “Downtown had a bunch of these … during the days when automobile was the way to travel.�

The Downtowner isn’t the only motel offering value prices.

The El Cortez Hotel & Casino, just one block away at 600 Fremont St., has rooms with one queen-sized bed starting at $27 a night (June 10) with a $16.89 nightly fee per room, per night, plus tax.

At the other end of Fremont Street (1 Fremont St., to be precise), the Golden Gate Hotel & Casino, the city’s oldest hotel, also has been renovated. Remodeled rooms with two double beds start at $12 a night (June 10) plus a $28.25 resort fee, which provides Wi-Fi and use of a fitness center at the D Las Vegas, and taxes.

“Downtown is still a good value,� said Mark Carlson, who oversees operations for DTP. “I think that message gets lost by the broader sense of what people hear about Las Vegas, how expensive it is and how expensive the restaurants are.�

At the Downtowner, carports in which visitors once parked their cars have been replaced by a central courtyard that features a six-hole putting course called Putter’s Paradise. In keeping with the motel’s vintage appeal, a 1976 Harley-Davidson golf cart is parked beside the course, inviting guests to pose for pictures.

“We brought in a backdrop behind the golf course that actually looks like Palm Springs,� Kennedy said. “When you’re out there golfing, you can take photos. It actually looks like you’ve been transported out to Palm Springs.�

If you’re looking for deals that keep you closer to the Strip, here are rooms for less than $100 I found while searching the web for a June 10 stay:

â–ºPyramid room at Luxor Hotel & Casino starts at $40.50; add a resort fee of more than $39 and tax for a total of $85.60 a night.

â–ºResort Tower room at Excalibur Hotel-Casino with a king-sized bed costs $29, plus a resort fee of $35 per night and fees. Total cost: $72.56 per night.

Room prices in downtown and on the Strip go up on weekends.

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