The D Las Vegas
The D Las Vegas is a fun and loud casino resort just steps from the middle of the action on Fremont Street.
It caters to a younger, party-loving crowd, with low limit gaming, good restaurants, pulsating indoor and outdoor bars, and 638 basic, but contemporary rooms in its 34 story hotel tower.
Rooms at The D are typically some of the more affordable in Las Vegas. However as with the vast majority of hotels in Las Vegas, The D charges hotel guests a nightly resort fee. In some cases, the resort fee may be equal to, or even greater than the cost of the hotel!
The D Las Vegas Hotel Resort Fee
Including tax, the nightly resort fee at the D Las Vegas Hotel is: $33.84
The posted base fee you’ll find online is $29.95, however that does not include the downtown Las Vegas hotel room tax of 13%.
The resort fee includes the following:
- Free self-parking
- Hi-speed WiFi
- Access to the modest swimming pool
- Free in-room local calls
- A 10% discount to Zingerman’s Coffee stand (in the hotel)
Standard hotel rooms at The D are not furnished with coffee makers, or refrigerators.
Noise at the D Las Vegas Hotel
The main complaint from guests staying overnight at The D is that rooms on the north end, are directly above the Fremont Street light show. Meaning it can get very noisy at times. My wife and I stayed on an upper level floor and still could easily hear (and feel) the thumping of far down below.
It’s not like bands and the light show run past 2 AM; however if you plan on going to bed early, you may want to request a south facing room at check-in. The front desk at The D typically will do their best to accommodate requests for quiet rooms.
Just know that getting a quiet room will be much easier on Sunday through Thursday nights.
Bars & Lounges at The D Las Vegas
In addition to getting drinks while playing, there are four different bars at The D casino:
Long Bar
Perhaps the signature feature of this resort is the “Long Bar” in the main casino.
Billed as the longest bar in Nevada, the bar runs over 1,000 feet, seemingly the entire length of the casino, adorned with lots of 60 inch plasma high-definition TVs.
It’s also known for its well-stocked bloody Mary bar, where you can get your hangover cured with garnishes ranging from your standard celery to bacon, to jalapenos to more. It’s a “meal in a drink” as they say.
D Bar
I believe The D started the trend, (now adopted by nearly every Fremont Street casino), of having a a high-energy, welcoming sidewalk bar outside.
Flair bartenders will mix your drink (the daiquiri machines are especially popular in the heat), while you can take a seat and people watch all the action on Fremont.
Vue Bar
Located on the second floor of the casino, the adjoining outdoor patio offers, well, good “vues.” Riders on the SlotZilla zip line pass by you as you people-watch the party down below on Fremont Street.
Inside at the Vue Bar, you’re very close to slots, games like Sigma Derby and the Circa sportsbook.
Bar Canada
Also located on the second floor, next to The D’s Circa sportsbook, BarCanada boasts 85 inch TVs. You can get your Labatts and Molsons here, along with regular drinks and some specialty North-of-the-Border themed cocktails, like “The Old Canadian Way” (Crown Royal Maple, Simple Syrup, Angostura Bitters).
Vintage Vegas as The D
Another popular, unusual twist not often seen in modern day Las Vegas is the D’s “Vintage Vegas” floor on the second level. It’s an area devoted to the old school coin-operated slot machines and video poker games. These coin-dispersing slots are a blast for us old timers who fondly recall the smile-inducing sounds of silver clanking loudly against metal trays after a slot win.
Included here is the incredibly-fun Sigma Derby game.
You’ll remember it as the cheesy little mechanical horse racing game, in which you drop a quarter and watch your little plastic horse race against other horses. The Sigma Derby game is a cheap, addictive thrill, and if you haven’t tried it already – you must.
Downstairs on the main level are the traditional, modern slots and usual assortment of table games.
If the gambling doesn’t hold your attention, the pulse-pounding music and sexy dancing dealers found throughout the casino most certainly will.
The D casino is one of the last hold-outs to offer live Keno action. You’ll find it on the second level.
Restaurants at the D Las Vegas Hotel and Casino
On the eating front, the D has four dining options:
Andiamo Steakhouse
This upscale Italian steakhouse gets great reviews. Italian seafood and pasta dishes compliment the menu, with items like the Lobster Ravioli, Pan-roasted sea scallops or the pricey 32 ounce Tomahawk Steak, ($99 as of this update).
(Go here to help you decide if you should stay on the Las Vegas Strip or on Fremont Street)
American Coney Island
Like D owner Derek Stevens, American Coney is an American-born import from Detroit. It’s the ultimate late night “drunk food” (chili cheese dogs and fries), that taste almost as good during the day while sober.
Bacon Nation
A vegetarian nightmare, Bacon Nation is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, serving breakfast at all hours. There’s also salads, burgers, and classic comfort food favorites.
McDonalds
For those of you like me who have lost all of their money and need cheap eats, McDonalds can be found near the west side casino entrance. It can draw a rough-looking crowd in the morning, as it seems many of the sketchy Fremont Street people hang out here in the morning.
Coffee Stand at The D
Your typical quick-stop coffee stand with a variety of coffees, teas, smoothies, muffins and the like. Hotel guests receive a 10% discount here.
The D Las Vegas Hotel and Casino Swimming Pool
Other than the noise below on Fremont Street, perhaps the only other main drawback to the D is its swimming pool. If pool time is a big part of your Vegas vacation, you’ll want to stay elsewhere.
The D’s basic, rectangular-shaped pool is small, surrounded by concrete with a vibe that doesn’t exactly conjure up images of the tropics.
More About The D Hotel & Casino
- At 34 stories and 400 feet in height, The D is the third tallest building in the city of Las Vegas (keep in mind, the Strip is not in the city limits). Only the Stratosphere and new Circa Las Vegas are taller.
- Its 638 hotel rooms makes The D the third largest hotel in downtown Las Vegas, trailing only the Golden Nugget and the Downtown Grand.
- There is no parking fee at The D for registered hotel guests. Valet parking is also complimentary.
- The D is one of the last remaining casinos in Las Vegas in which there’s a chance you could actually run into the owner at the bar. In this case, the owner’s name is Derek Stevens. He also owns both the Golden Gate Hotel and Casino and Circa Las Vegas – both on the opposite end of Fremont Street.
- The D Las Vegas became the first hotel and casino to accept digital currency bitcoins for hotel rooms and gift shop purchases. In May of 2014, the hotel introduced the first Bitcoin ATM machine in its casino.
- On September 20th, 2014, The D opened its live music stage, an 15,000 capacity outdoor venue called the Downtown Events Center. The venue has hosted everyone from Lady A, to the Goo Goo Dolls to Public Enemy. One of their most popular events is the annual Super Bowl viewing party.
What Does the “D” in the D Las Vegas Hotel and Casino Stand For?
After a lot of speculation as to its meaning, Stevens told reporters the “D” stands for a combination of “Derek,” “Downtown,” and “Detroit,” (Stevens’ hometown).
History of The D Las Vegas
The Stevens brothers purchased the rundown, dated, somewhat forgotten downtown has-been called “Fitzgeralds,” in 2011.
The D Las Vegas Hotel and Casino’s subsequent $22 million rebranding and remodel in 2012 added a much needed new spark to the Fremont Street hotel scene.
(By Steve Beauregard. Photos from gamboool.com and courtesy of The D Twitter account)