Best Western Mardi Gras Review

I went to Vegas for the first time ever a week ago for my brother's wedding. I only had a couple of conditions for finding a place to stay:

1- Close to the Wynn and Treasure Island (where my brother and family were staying)
2- Hot water and doors that locked
3- Cost effective for somewhere I wouldn't be doing much more than sleeping

Not too bad for $30/night

I booked the BW Mardi Gras because the price was right and the walk wasn't too far from where I would be spending a lot of my time. More importantly, I drove over to Vegas and has access to my vehicle, so walking was only something I needed to do if I chose to walk.

http://www.mardigrasinn.com/

When I came in the front door it seemed like a bunch of derelicts were hanging out in front of the place. Perhaps they were trying to save a buck too, I thought. No problem. I entered and checked in which was nice and easy. The people there were dealing with some woman who was drunk or high, who just yelled at everyone, walked out the door, then came back in and yelled some more, all the while demanding top-notch service and amenities.

Oh great, I thought.

My Room, Actual Room

The guy directed me to my room, told me I could take the elevator or a flight of stairs. I drove around the building and unloaded my bags then walked over to the elevator. It didn't work. A big "NOT WORKING" sign taped to the door. For the next four days the the elevator never worked.

Every morning, beginning somewhen around 7:30 the maid service tried to get into the room. They caught me bare as a baby one morning and unless I put the chain on the door, they tried to come on in. If they couldn't come in they came back hourly until they could get into the room.

Smudge That Never Went Away

The cleaning itself wasn't too bad. They moved my belongings and put them back when they were done, replaced the towels and sheets daily and left the room looking good as new. Unfortunately, new wasn't that great. There was giant black smudge on the side of the toilet's tank that I only saw as I exited the shower my first night, but over the next four days, it was never removed. I also wrote on the mirror and tile while they were damp from the shower and the writing was there every day.

The BWMG was indeed not too far from the Wynn. In fact, I could see the Wynn right out the window. However, it was a 20 minute walk, which isn't too bad, I walk further than that daily, and the monorail's northernmost station is half a block away. While the BWMG did have a shuttle, it dropped off too far from the Wynn making it too inconvenient for me to use.

Locking Doors

The door did lock. It even had a chain, which saved the cleaning lady from admiring me too much one morning as I walked around in my birthday suit.

Hot water

Technically yes, there was hot water. But I learned the hard way it takes nearly 30 minutes of having the shower on before the hot water reached this particular room. After my first night there I learned Treasure Island lost hot water all together for the morning, but the BWMG was consistent in their hot water deficiency. After the first shower I learned to start the water going for a half hour or so before even testing it to see if it was hot. The environmentalist in me hated wasting so much water, but the guy who paid for the room wanted hot water.

ROI

The room was very cost effective. Apparently I booked at just the right time because I was able to reserve the room for $30 a night. That was less that $100 for 3 nights/4 days. Not too bad for having a 20 minute walk or a 5 minutes drive and parking at the Wynn's free self-service parking lot on the strip.

Checkout was just as easy as check in and quieter without the loud woman yelling at reception.

All in all it wasn't bad, per se, and I've definitely paid more for worse rooms in other places, but as a vacation destination, I really expected some effort put in by a facility that has to compete with the big guns across the golf course on the Strip. During the day I saw a lot of people milling about, college-aged kids, families, people looking to have fun and save a buck. People like me.

I showed the images to my friend who's been to Vegas a number of times and she said for $30, she'd consider staying there, especially with the tram being so close and a cab ride from the Wynn, Venetian or Palazzo being only a couple of bucks each way.

Would I stay there again? Only if I needed to be near that area of the Strip and I was counting pennies.