Downtown Vegas: The D

January 8, 2015

Melissa Chang,

Some of the bartenders outside The D Las Vegas

If you’re from Hawaii, you can’t stay away from Downtown Las Vegas (even if you like to stay on The Strip). It’s got its own charm, it’s more laid back than Las Vegas Boulevard, and it’s way more walkable. Plus, there’s the added bonus of running into people you know.

Over the last several years, all the downtown hotels have undergone some kind of renovation, even renamed themselves for rebranding, to keep up with the development on The Strip. One of those significant rebrands was Fitzgerald’s, which became The D last year. It’s a lot more hip, complete with an outdoor bar and go-go dancers.

The elevators are the most unique thing: There are no floor buttons. At each elevator lobby, you punch in the floor you want to go to, and the screen tells you which elevator to wait at. When you enter the elevator, you don’t have to choose your floor.

As with all Downtown hotels, parking is free for guests. At The D, you’ll see paint on the walls that say parking to the seventh floor is for valets only, but ignore that. The valet told me they no longer use these stalls, so guests are free to park in those, as well. Most people don’t know that.

Faye Muranaka, whom longtime Hawaii advertising people will remember, now works at The D and put me up in the hotel this past Christmas so I could experience the lodging. Wow! I got a suite, which was bigger than my own apartment. The rooms are very modern, with contemporary design. Here’s a look at my room:

The restaurants are all modernized, too. I’m not sure if the American Coney Island hot dog spot (which faces the Fremont Street Experience) was always there, but I liked it so much I went twice. Since they’re open 24 hours, they are a perfect place to stop for a post-gambling snack after midnight. If you want a more swanky dining experience, The D has Andiamo Steak House on the second floor, which is better (with better ingredients) than the other fine dining restaurants in the older Downtown hotels. Here’s what Ritsuko Kukonu and I had for dinner last year:

The D Las Vegas

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Do you remember Fitzgeralds? Last year, it completed its renovation and rebranding to become a more hip hotel and casino, and called itself The D (which stands for “Downtown”).

By the way, if you don’t want to watch my room video but want to see photos, just click through the photos below.