We stayed at the El Cortez from June19 thru 22. We had a tower room, upon check in I had asked for a corner room,but they had none available. We requested a roll away bed because my daughter had a slight mishap and sparined her ankle, so the bed was free of charge, they also provided a wheelchair , but in the casino and cafe only.
We were in room 509, very clean 2 beds, a sofa, we needed a fridge , that was brought up right away. the Bathroom ( a little small for 4 women ) but adaquate!.
The TV was not a flat screen, but it was big, there was a desk also, which we used for a vanity table.
The Air was EXTREMELY COLD, but after walking in the sun, it was refreshing to come into the room.
The only complaint we had was on check out day, there was very little HOT water.... other than that, our stay was excellent.
The ElCortez Staff was professional and friendly, everyone was courteous and asked us if everything was fine. My sister was given a free enrty for the slot tournament and she ended up winning $100.00.
We played on the Roulette tables for a long time and we even learned how to play craps there and we won! It was great!
We did eat at Kitty's cafe, the portions were huge and we used a coupon from the fun book.
We also drank at the bar in the back by Kitty's, the Batender was from Brooklyn..... He made my sister a drink for her Birthday, and he was very amusing and friendly, we sat there for at least an hour.
Overall, We will back to the El Cortez., the location and the price and just the overall freindliness of the staff is remarkable.

Me and my sister stayed at the El Cortez for a few nights in March this year. Overall the hotel was ok, just what you would expect for the price you pay.
The rooms are spacious and clean. Ours had lovely views of the hills. Only downside was that there was no hairdryer and we had a room close to the lifts so it was very noisy.
The lobby and casino area were ok. Looked pretty old fashioned and full of old people so if you are under 50-60 you will feel a bit weird. Didn't bother us too much though as we only used the hotel to sleep in and not much else.
The area around it was ok. It is a good bit away from the strip but if you have a car it's fine and there are also frequent buses running. You also have a good few bars and 'very important for us' a starbucks 5 minutes walk away.
I would recommend this hotel if you just look for a cheap place to stay while in Vegas or if you are over 50. If you are in your 20s, like us, and looking for a cooler Vegas experience then spend the extra few bucks and book a room on the strip.

My husband & I booked a week's stay at the El Cortez, just a block from the Fremont Street experience. I was skeptical about staying in downtown Vegas, but I can honestly say I had no reason for doubts. From the bell service as soon as we arrived, through our last day's checkout, we were treated like old friends & valued customers, even though this was our first stay there. My husband even got to play poker with the owner! The casino smells fresh & is breathable when you walk in, despite the smokers - something unique, in my experience. We had a jacuzzi suite, which would have gone for much more on the Strip - but you have to call the hotel to get one. They've been reserved in the past for high rollers & pit bosses. It was a great value at $125 for a weeknight. They've just recently been made available to the public & I'm so glad we booked one!! Everything about this smaller hotel & casino was clean, friendly, value-oriented (the players' club is defeinitely worth joining) & focused on customer service. This will definitely be our place from now on!

We went to Vegas last week and stayed at the MGM...but I also booked a room at the El Cortez for $30 one night/free the next for a "Vintage Room" because I figured if we wanted to hang out downtown...a $30 room for 2 nights was cheaper than a DUI driving back to the strip! We arrived early and they had a room ready for us. Check in was quick. Hotel room was nothing fancy, but very clean. View was of a wall...but not a big deal to us. Cleaning lady "cleaned up"/got rid of some things we had left laying out from other casino's such as playing cards from the Four Queens, etc. which I found kind of strange, but oh well...no harm done. Roberta's was a GREAT place to eat, especially with the 1/2 off coupon I had, and I loved the casino there. Walk felt very safe from Freemont experience as long as you stayed on the same side of the street as the El Cortez. Saw 2 security guards on that side. Other side had some people begging for money, etc.