Flamingo Las Vegas Rating: 3.5 Pearls

The Strip, Las Vegas, Nevada

The pool

No longer the standard-bearer for over-the-top Las Vegas largesse, the 3,626-room Flamingo nonetheless remains a fun, retro-flavored value option for business travelers, couples, and families alike.

Opened in 1946 by mobbed-up bootlegger and Genovese crime family associate Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel, the Flamingo is one of the oldest resorts on the Strip. The hotel boasts a rich history. It figures prominently in Hunter S. Thompson's city-defining gonzo opus Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and both the 1960 and the 2001 versions of Ocean's Eleven were filmed on-site.

In its time, the Flamingo set astronomical standards for luxury and opulence (the janitors wore tuxedos). In recent years, ultra-luxe resorts like the Wynn and Venetian have far surpassed the Flamingo in excess. The Flamingo's former family pool, which boasted a waterfall, three waterslides, volleyball and a basketball hoop, was once the envy of the Strip. Now, it faces fierce competition from the pools at Mandalay Bay, the Mirage, and the Bellagio, among others. But Flamingo is staging a return to form with its newly placed 18+ GO Pool that is now inhabiting the enormous (formerly family friendly) space of the Lagoon Pool. Things are looking promising for the pool area of the Vegas mainstay.

The hotel's decor feverishly recalls Las Vegas' 1970s heyday. Fluorescent pink abounds, and posters advertise entertainment from Donnie and Marie Osmond, creating the impression that the hotel wishes the '70s never ended. Yet the retro vibe actually feels less over-the-top than the atmosphere at later Strip additions like the Luxor, Excalibur, or Planet Hollywood.

On par with what similarly priced Strip hotels offer, the hotel's array of services include some handy perks, like a check-in kiosk at McCarran International Airport, video checkout in the rooms, and language translators. The concierge desk is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.The staff stands ready to serve, often asking if they can help unprompted. The bellmen check bags at the curb, though the service falls short of running over and greeting incoming cabs.

Room service, which comes from a kitchen separate from any of the on-site restaurants, arrived promptly -- my steak-and-cheese sandwich was still hot.

Overall, I was impressed with the service at Flamingo, but several TripAdvisor users complain of long waits at check-in, and I noticed lines at the front desk. Fortunately, the Flamingo offers checkout on guest room TVs or will send an itemized bill via e-mail. Although I checked out the old-fashioned way, a quick call yielded an e-mailed receipt within minutes.

View on a Larger Map

Most Las Vegas visitors want to explore all of the big properties along the densely packed three-and-a-half mile long stretch of hotel-casinos known as the Strip, and the Flamingo puts guests smack in the middle of that scene. One guest I spoke with, a three-year repeat visitor in town for a real estate conference, said the mid-Strip location was one reason he kept coming back.

Big-name casinos such as Caesars Palace, Bally's, the Bellagio, and Paris are close neighbors, at least on the map -- the door-to-door walk from the Flamingo to the Paris or the Bellagio can take ten minutes. Casinos with lower stakes and less-familiar names, like Bill's Gamblin' Hall & Saloon, O'Shea's, and the Imperial Palace, flank the hotel. Worthwhile activities in the area include the Bellagio's water show, a must-see routine executed by 16,000 "dancing" fountains, and Caesars' 160-store Forum Shops.

Cabs are easy to find at virtually any time of day or night. A generally less expensive option for getting up and down the Strip is the Deuce, a double-decker bus that runs up and down the strip 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and costs $3. There's also a monorail, which stops at MGM Grand, Bally's/Paris, Flamingo/Caesars Palace, Harrah's/Imperial Palace, the Las Vegas Convention Center, the Hilton, and the Sahara. A single ride ticket is $5; a one-day pass is $13. If you're traveling with at least one other person, a cab is often the least expensive option.

Virtually every hotel on the Las Vegas Strip is a 10- to 15-minute cab ride from McCarran International Airport; the ride typically costs about $15.

The Deluxe Room

Faintly echoing the 1970s feel of the casino floor, the rooms at the Flamingo eschew Las Vegas kitsch for a more understated feel. At 300 square feet, the Flamingo's standard rooms are among the smallest on the Strip, but they feel spacious, thanks to floor-to-ceiling windows and a comfortable seating area. With brown wood paneling, stain-free carpets, tasteful modern furniture, few signs of wear and tear, and a merciful lack of fluorescent pink, they do the job.

My room's king-size bed had three pillows and a brown blanket sporting the Flamingo logo. I slept very well on the Simmons Felicity mattress. The electronics are limited to a tube-style Philips TV with 37 channels and pay-per-view movies, which cost $12.99.

The standard-room bathrooms, done up with beige walls and grey countertops and stocked with Gilchrist & Soames products, are fairly run-of-the-mill for Strip hotels. The only signs of wear were lime buildup on the shower head and a rust stain in the sink. Blemishes, for sure, but not enough to diminish my comfort.

For about $30 a night, guests can upgrade to one of the nicer Go Rooms, which were renovated in 2007 and feature iPod docks, 42-inch flat-screen TVs, and separate tubs and showers. Flamingo is in the process of giving a facelift to all of its 2,400 rooms, and the remodel is expected to be completed in 2012.

The gym

The spa and fitness center are extensive, with multiple strength machines, a broad set of free weights, and multiple cardio machines. However, the ceiling is low, and the gym has no TVs. The spa features a lounge area with two TVs and a modest vanity area. Services include hot-stone massages, a variety of facials, and a Fijian sugar-cane scrub and warm wrap. Guests pay $20 a day for access to the fitness center and spa. Also on-site are the Hair by Noel salon for men and the Alexandra salon for women.

Aside from the pool, other sports facilities include a volleyball court that was netless and unused on my visit and well-maintained tennis courts that also saw little action when I was there.

For business needs, an on-site UPS store offers copying, faxing, printing, and shipping services. It's open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends. The hotel's Internet Junction, open 24 hours, has a computer with Internet access, a printer, copier, and fax machine. Computer use costs 49 cents a minute, and printing runs 99 cents a page.

The pool

Unlike the concrete-dominated massive pools at Planet Hollywood, Excalibur, and the Luxor, the Flamingo's extensive pool area is adorned with a welcoming tropical decor, including a waterfall and abundant plant life. Flamingo completed a major switcheroo in its pool area in 2011. The enormous Lagoon Pool is now the GO Pool, an 18-plus oasis with cascading waterfalls and a seasonal waterslide. But with the move into this larger pool comes the demise of topless sunbathing. Admission is $10 for men, free for women. Family fun can be had at the smaller Beach Club Pool (the former location of The Go Pool), which features waterslides and is nearer to the Beach Club Cafe.

At all the pools, the cocktail waitresses are clad in ultrasmall pink bikinis (which often fail to cover them entirely). Families, couples, and the occasional young partier sip drinks in the lounge chairs, play basketball and volleyball, and frolic in the waterfall's spray. During my stay, the three smaller pools -- and thus the connecting waterslides -- were closed, but they open for summer from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

Cabanas outfitted with flat-screen TVs, mini-fridges, and personal attendants, cost $285 a day at the Beach Club Pool and $335 at the Go Pool on weekends. During the week, rates drop to $235 at the Beach Club Pool and $285 for the Go Pool.

The casino

Unlike the many Strip casinos that sit back from the road, the Flamingo's gaming floor opens right on to the sidewalk, so lots of foot traffic finds its way through the wide doors, livening up the action. Other than the iconic hot pink color scheme, not much distinguishes this game-packed floor from other places on the Strip. The casino has slots, blackjack, roulette, craps, keno, a sports book, and other table games. Minimum bets can reach as low as $5. The poker room offers low-stakes Texas Hold 'em, as well as Omaha and Seven-Card Stud.

To the north, O'Sheas Casino, affiliated with Flamingo parent Harrah's, runs $1 to $5 spread limit Texas Hold 'em, one of the lowest-stakes games in Las Vegas. Home to a tattoo parlor run by Motley Crue singer Vince Neil, it's open 24 hours a day and offers bawdy fun to small spenders.

The arcade

The Flamingo does not provide as many kid-friendly distractions outdoors. Proximity to the Beach Club Café does not make up for the absence of former family friendly Lagoon Pool's three waterslides, basketball hoop, volleyball net and waterfall. The garden, with a variety of fish and birds (including flamingoes, not surprisingly), will further divert youngsters.

Kids can also visit a modest video-game arcade, but that's as far as indoor family-friendly activities go. Parents should be able to find something kids will eat at the wide range of restaurants. The hotel offers cribs, and guests can arrange for baby-sitting services.

With no stains, smudges, or smears, the room itself was comfortable and inviting. In the bathroom, though, I spotted green buildup on the shower head, and the air vent was slightly broken, revealing dark-colored gunk where the slats would have been.

Many of the main areas were in good order, although the hallway smelled faintly of mildew, and room service left a towel closet open for much of my two-night stay.

Filet mignon

The Flamingo serves up a wide variety of dining options: value at the Paradise Garden Buffet, a fun party scene at Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville and slightly overpriced Japanese cuisine at Hamada. The Burger Joint, Pink Bean, and poolside Beach Club offer simple appetizers and sandwiches.

Herbert Reid, a Las Vegas cab driver, says many of his passengers head to the Flamingo for the Paradise Garden Buffet, where massive windows and vaulted ceilings create a far more pleasant environment than the windowless confines of other Vegas buffets. Best is the brunch, when guests can bask in natural light, watch the nature preserve's wildlife through the large windows and sample an assortment of breakfast foods. Dinner fare is mediocre, with too much fried and bland food and not enough variety. Seek out the crustacean corner filled with King Crab legs, shrimp, and crawfish. Reid says he regularly takes his wife to Paradise Garden for its seafood. Brunch runs from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. while dinner is from 4:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.

The Flamingo is also home to Margaritaville, a theme restaurant and bar that is equal parts Florida Keys and Caribbean islands. Parrots and colorful deck chairs, jumbo margarita shakers, large screens playing Jimmy Buffett's videos, and booths shaped like boat decks cry kitsch, but in a fun way. I opted for a grilled mahi-mahi with pineapple-mango salsa on a bed of rice and vegetables. Yum! And all for under $20. The beer-steamed Peel and Eat Shrimps ($10.95) were pretty good too. Margaritaville is open from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.

Hamada of Japan, a hotspot for business travelers out to impress clients, has been around for more than 20 years (old by Vegas standards). While the sashimi was fresh and delicious, I found the teppanyaki overpriced. The $80 seafood special was nothing great. The similar, if not better, dish at Benihana at the Las Vegas Hilton is half the price. Plus, the hibachi chef at Benihana puts on a better show, and the Zen-garden ambience beats Hamada's.

Former upscale eatery Steakhouse 46, has been closed down. Rumor has it the replacement will be another Margaritaville.

The Gazebo Chapel, the most popular ceremony location

• Wedding Size: Up to 150 people; as many as 40 weddings performed daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

• Extra Fees and Requirements: An additional $150 set-up fee applies to Gazebo Chapel and West Lawn weddings; the Crescendo location (available seasonally) requires an additional $900 fee if you do not book the Something Blue Package; officiant fee, $75; certificate, $60; $1,000 booking deposit required for reception and $250 room set-up fee; outside photographers, videographers, and florists are permitted but a $150 vendor fee applies to each.

• Wedding Packages: The most basic Lavender Package, $689 to $759 depending on time of week, includes the wedding ceremony, a bridal bouquet, a boutonniere, a photographer (12 photos in a leather-bound wedding album), a leather-bound certificate holder, a pianist, the help of a wedding coordinator, and one night in an Executive King Room. Alternative packages range from around $869 to $3,889.

• Ceremony Locations: The Garden Chapel, the Gazebo Chapel (the most popular site), the Paradise Falls, the Crescendo Pool, the West Lawn, or the Garden Trellis

• Photographers and Videographers: Photo packages from $140 for 12 photos taken around the chapel area and at select outdoor locations to $835 for four-hour coverage of ceremony and reception; video packages from $175 for the ceremony coverage to $1,100 for both the ceremony and reception

• Music: A pianist from $100 or a harpist from $400; outside bands and DJs permitted at no extra fee

• Food and Drinks: With a standard package, you can get hot and cold hors d'oeuvres, a multitiered wedding cake (based on head count), and a two-hour hosted bar (meaning you pay extra for every cocktail) from $76 per person; on top of this, for a dinner with another one-hour hosted bar, it'll cost between $80 to $87 per person. No kids or specialty menus available; all receptions are held in one of the hotel's catering halls.

• Cakes: A single-tier cake from $60; vegan and gluten-free cakes also available

• Flowers and Decorations: Decorations can be cheap and simple, but you can also opt for a wide range of extras such as a bridesmaid's bouquet ($20 to $175), an aisle runner ($40), or a flower girl basket with petals ($35 and up).

• Spa Treatments: A full menu or services available at the hotel's spa, including makeup application ($55), updos ($75 to $90), and hair pieces ($40 to $75)

• Honeymoon Suite: The Cosmopolitan and the Metropolitan Suites both have in-room Jacuzzi tubs.

• Airport Transportation: The hotel does not provide airport shuttle service; a taxi costs about $15 one-way.