Club 36 Rating: 3.0 Pearls

Off the Strip, Las Vegas, Nevada

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Airport right behind the hotel

Club 36 is part of the Bluegreen time-share club -- meaning that the rooms are all one- or two-bedroom apartments with full kitchens and washer/dryers. Non-members, however, can still book a room at the hotel as regular guests.

Club 36 is getting a lot of attention from its members, mostly because it's the first West Coast property in the Bluegreen network (all others are located in the East Coast). Unless you're one of the time-share owners though, there's nothing to get too excited about. Everything, well, seems to be working against it -- only an indoor pool, a remote location in audible range of the airport, and very few dining options around.

Like anywhere in Vegas, this hotel's got a theme. As a nod to its airport-adjacent location, they went with "the golden age of air travel." The pool cafe is named after Amelia Earhart, and there are homages to her around the hotel, along with black-and-white photographs of Cessna planes and early Air Force pilots. The rooms even come with retro clock radios.

For better apartment-style accommodations in Vegas, you'll find greater value in the Hilton Grand Vacations Club At the Las Vegas Hilton or Marriott Grand Chateau. Both have better locations, ample guest room space, and bright, sunny interiors.

Friendly front desk agent

The staff members at Club 36 are eager to make a great impression. The bell desk was especially helpful in assisting guests with luggage or groceries, and in calling taxis. There is a Guest Services counter in the lobby, which provides concierge services. Housekeeping promptly responds to all requests.

But there are lapses in service. Poolside servers never seemed to be around. In the evening, when about five people were lined up at the front desk, there was just one receptionist available to help customers. In the morning, though, when no one was checking in or out, there were three receptionists just standing idly.

View on a Larger Map

Vast emptiness surrounds this hotel -- or at least it feels that way. The hotel is two miles from the landing strip at the McCarran airport, and a long way from the casinos along the Vegas Strip. Unless you have a car or can afford to call a taxi every time you venture outside hotel property, you're stuck in this new, mostly empty, building complex.

Which isn't to say there's nothing inside the complex. There's a liquor store, a pizzeria called Due, a Subway, and Einstein & Co. Bagel Shop. A convenience store and a sit-down restaurant are also available on-site.

A complimentary shuttle runs between the Bluegreen complex and the MGM Grand every 15 minutes on Thursdays through Sundays. To head further north of the Strip, you'll have to switch to a public bus like the Deuce.

Kitchen and Dining area in 1 Bedroom Deluxe Room

All rooms are apartment units -- complete with a full kitchen and a washer and dryer -- that start at 480 square feet for a one-bedroom standard (rooms can also be connected to create a two-bedroom unit). Stylish details include a vintage-style CD player/clock radio and black-and-white photographs that are meant to evoke the hotel's early 20th century, birth-of-aviation-era theme.

Due to poor design choices, the rooms tend to feel cramped, inconvenient, and poorly lit. In the one-bedroom standard, the living room and kitchen are side by side, with no windows in either room. To get to the only window in the apartment, you have to walk down a short hallway to the bedroom. There was no space in the hallway closet to store a suitcase, and the in-room safe is oddly placed beneath the bathroom sink.

The kitchen design is just as impractical. Though the kitchen comes with an oven, utensils, and even a dishwasher (with detergent), it's tiny, and there's no counter space to do any food preparation. The cooktop is directly beside the sink, which is next to a small counter taken up by a toaster, coffee machine and Seattle's Best coffee packets. The dining table has wrought-iron chairs that are stylish, but also very heavy.

The 27-inch flat-screen TV faces the wraparound couch at an odd angle, allowing only one section of the couch to get a good view. The TV has basic cable (no HBO or pay-per-view movies) and a DVD player, but you have you bring your own DVDs -- the hotel does not have a DVD lending library.

Wi-Fi costs $9.95, and connecting to the network can be a hassle. The hotel uses an outside Internet provider, which means that you have to call an 866 number and speak with an agent (in my case, for 15 minutes) before you can get online.

Every room comes with a king-size bed outfitted in a retro-print comforter and a vinyl hot dog pillow. The mattress is firm, and doesn't have a pillow-top. The sheets are clean and comfortable, but nothing spectacular.

Likewise, the bathroom is standard and unremarkable. Bath products are Gilchrist & Soames, and they include shampoo, conditioner, lotion and bar soap.

Large, heated indoor pool

Guests can swim year-round in the heated indoor pool, unlike most Vegas hotel pools which are seasonal (they close for the winter months, which can get a little chilly). Sunlight pours in from glass windows that surround the pool, but there's never any direct sunlight. For that, you'll have to step out to the adjacent sundeck. It's an open terrace with lounge chairs and tables facing the McCarran airport. Planes fly low -- really low -- overhead, and there's a thrill in seeing them about to land. It gets old after a few minutes though, especially since you'll never get peace and quiet with the regular roar of engines. Inside, there's also a whirlpool where adults tend to gather while kids splash in the pool. The pool is open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Outside beverages are not permitted in the pool area due to liquor licensing laws. It's a pity, since the poolside bar, Amelia, has limited offerings, and it would be nice to bring in a cup of coffee from the nearby bagel shop or to share a six-pack that you could keep chilling in the room fridge.

The hotel has a spacious and modern fitness center on the second floor. Treadmills, ellipticals, stationary bikes and weight machines face four flat-screen TVs on a colorful mosaic wall. Machines don't have individual screens, but the equipment's all brand-new and from a reputable brand, LifeFitness. There are also yoga mats, fitness balls and free weights around this roomy gym. It's open from 6 a.m. to 1 a.m.

The game room on the fifth floor is actually a mini-arcade that consists of six arcade-style games like Golden Tee and a shooting game called Maximum Force.

Complimentary Internet terminals (two PCs) are on the 2nd floor. Printing is also free, and printouts can be picked up at the front desk.

The hotel provides a complimentary shuttle that goes between the MGM Grand and the Bluegreen complex. At the moment, it's only available on Thursday to Sundays, from noon to 6:30 p.m.

The Game Room

Most of the guests at the hotel are families who own time-shares. All rooms are large (starting at 480 square feet), and they come with queen-size pullout couches and a private bedroom for parents. Complimentary cribs and high chairs are available upon request.

Among the family highlights, there's an indoor swimming pool and a small arcade room (there are no free games, so you'll have to pony up some quarters for your kids). Board games like Scrabble and Uno are available at the front desk.

There's also plenty of kid-friendly food on the property, ranging from the hot dogs and nachos at Amelia Bar and Grill to the chicken wings at Due's Pizzeria.

The well maintaned digs will make guests of Club 36 very happy.

Pizza from nearby Due Pizzeria

Amelia, the pool bar and grill, is open from noon until 8 p.m. Offerings are limited -- a Caesar salad goes for $6.25, while a hero sandwich costs $7.95. The food doesn't look fresh, and the hot dogs look like they sit on the rotating grill the entire day. The hotel's aviation theme is fully enforced in the drink list, which has specialty rum-based cocktails like "Jet Fuel" or the "Flight Plan" (both $6.50). Only alcoholic drinks purchased from Amelia can be enjoyed at the pool deck; outside beverages are prohibited.

There are a few dining options in the Bluegreen complex, and the hotel opened a sit-down restaurant called Grind Burger after our visit. As you may have guessed, this joint has burgers -- and not much else. For a five-dollar footlong, there's -- what else -- Subway. Next to it is a newly opened wood-fire pizzeria called Due. Go for the Sette pie -- it's chock-full of fresh garlic, meatballs, roasted peppers and onions, mushrooms, and mozzarella. For $11.25, it's not a bad price and I appreciated the leftover late-night snack. Due also serves wood-fired chicken wings ($11.99) and salads ($8). Next to Due is a liquor store where you can stock up on beer as well as bottled water.

The only other dining option is an Einstein Bros. bagel shop. It's a popular stop, especially for breakfast. They also offer soups ($2.50), paninis ($7), fruits and pastries.

Rooms come with kitchens, but the closest grocery store, Vons, is a mile away. A number of restaurants deliver to the hotel -- when I was there, offerings were limited to three Italian restaurants and two Chinese/Thai places, including Kung Fu Plaza, which will deliver things like papaya salad ($6.95) or panang curry chicken ($7.95) from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.