Hotel Review: Flamingo Las Vegas

After attending my conference, I had about eight hours to kill before my redeye home. I could have had the Delano hold my bags, but thought I might as well check Caesar’s Rewards to see if I could get a comped room. I would then have a place to store my things, relax, and unwind before heading to the airport. As a Diamond member, it’s generally pretty easy to get a free room depending on what else is happening in Las Vegas that day. I was in luck as the Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel & Casino had a Go Mini Suite that would cost me nothing and fill this need.

Anthony’s Take: The Flamingo is one of the oldest hotels on the Strip and it’s showing its age. My room had seen some things. Some not-so-pretty, that’s going to leave a stain, things. The carpets were worn and stained. The couch was also a bit crusty. I kept my shoes on and relaxed on top of the bed (at least the comforter looked clean). This worked fine for a free place to relax for a few hours, but I would not have spent the night.

Booking

I booked my Go Mini Suite a few hours before check in on Caesars.com. I hold Diamond status with Caesar’s Rewards and was able to get the room completely comped. The resort fee (normally $41.95 a day including tax) was also waived. The resort fee includes free phone calls, Wi-Fi, and access to the fitness center.

Transportation to/from the Hotel

I took and Uber Premier from the Delano to the Flamingo. It’s a 2.2-mile ride and cost $23.41. I would have walked as the route is much quicker on foot, but I had bags and was tired after a long week that had me in Europe and then Las Vegas.

Location

The Flamingo is located across the Strip from Caesar’s Palace and the Bellagio. I generally prefer to stay across the street at the Bellagio (and love its location on the Strip), so this spot is great as well.

Check-in

Like the Delano, I used a kiosk to complete a mobile check in. There were no employees in the area where I checked in. The lines to check in with an agent snaked around the lobby. Thankfully, mobile check in worked fine. I inserted my driver’s license, swiped my credit card, printed keys, and was in my suite moments later. I’m loving these kiosks as they save the small talk and keep check in moving along.

Keys in hand, I made my way to the elevator. I like that the kiosks also print out directions to the elevator.

Elevator lobby on floor 23.

Hallway en route to my suite. It was clean but reeked of smoke.

Mini Go Suite (23090)

There are 3,460 rooms and suites at the Flamingo Las Vegas. I was offered the choice of several types for free and selected this one as it was the largest at 550 square feet and labeled as “modern” on the booking site.

The Mini Go Suite opened into the living room/bedroom combo with a bath to the right of the bed.  The couch was the first thing I saw upon entering. I would advise against touching it without gloves or proper immunizations. The room was a large space and more than enough for just me (and for a few hours).

The wall to the left when facing the couch held the TV, a coffeemaker, workspace, mini fridge, and some empty desk drawers that really weren’t large enough for clothing.

The coffeemaker came without coffee or water.

The mini fridge was empty.

To the left of the TV was a closet with double doors and plenty of space. There was a luggage rack, iron, and ironing board in here.

The closet also had a safe.

The bed was on the opposite wall. I will give the Flamingo credit in that it was comfortable and looked clean. I was reluctant to touch the bench at the foot of the bed as it also had some interesting stains.

One design element that I loved was the flamingo lamp. The rooms should have more flamingo decor.

Across from the bed was a massive bathroom. It had too much space and much of it was wasted. This was one of two vanities.

Vanity number two.

There was a glassed-in shower with bench. Points for this being spacious. There was no bathtub even though one would easily fit.

The toilet was in a big space and isolated from the rest of the bathroom.

Toiletries were José Éber. I have never heard of this brand but apparently José is a hair stylist in Beverly Hills.

Amenities

I was only there for a few hours so I did not check out any of the amenities. One of my favorite things to do in Las Vegas is found on the Flamingo’s grounds. The Wildlife Habitat has several species of birds, fish, and turtles. It’s free and I try to stop by on every visit.

The pool is a day club in season. I love the flamingo statues flanking it.

If you find yourself in the Flamingo, get tickets to see RuPaul’s Drag Race Live. We saw it in August 2021 and it’s a fun, campy show.

One More Tip: we tried Bugsy & Meyer’s Steakhouse when it opened in 2020. I thoroughly enjoyed the meal with its modern takes on steakhouse classics in a space that gives a nod to the Flamingo’s history. It’s worth stopping by for dinner.

Overall Impression:

I didn’t enter the Flamingo with high hopes and it was what I expected. The hotel has passed its prime and is in desperate need of room renovations. It served my purposes as a place to relax before a flight, but I would not stay there on my Vegas vacation.